Just want to check in with y’all. If you’re doing the Challenge 2020 with us, you’re a few days in. I’d loveloveLOVE to hear from you! Whether you’re “on schedule” or not, I’d love to hear from you. Share with me and all of us anything you’ve learned. For example, I still remember the first time I read through the Bible what I learned when I got to Genesis 7 - that God had Noah take more than two of some animals! I don’t know where my brain was all the other times I had read through this book but apparently the words of that children’s song overrode anything I read - “two by two” into the ark!!! LOL!!!
Please share anything with me. Even if - especially if - you’ve become sidetracked. Discouraged. “Fallen behind schedule”. I really want to hear from you. Email is great but so is commenting on the blog site - everyone can benefit that way!
As you read on, here are some thoughts….sort of a “what to expect on the challenge”…..
Expect a struggle. You have committed to read THE WORD OF GOD.The holy, inspired WORD OF GOD. The words that are “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the (wo)man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). The WORD OF GOD which transforms, which “performs its work in you who believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13) Do not be even a smidge surprised that the Enemy of your soul is going to oppose you! He hates the Word of God - it is TRUTH and he is a liar. He will do whatever he can to keep you from reading and obeying it - he will distract you, de-motivate you, cause you to feel like a failure, and tempt you to be bored with it all. So when any of these things happens to you, do not be surprised. Know where it is coming from and run straight into the arms of Jesus, asking Him for help.
Expect to not understand. There are some things in the Word of God that are just plain hard to understand (and plenty more that are hard to accept!). But we don’t have to understand it in order to believe it. That’s faith, right? And as we study and learn and grow, we come to understand more and more. Do not give up when you don’t understand. I don’t understand how a cellphone works but I still trust that it will get my messages to my people! It’s totally ok to not understand some of what you are reading in Scripture!! Just keep reading! The understanding will come. Some won’t come until Eternity but much will come to us here through study and prayer and persistence. Deuteronomy 29:29 says “The secret things belong to the Lord but the things revealed belong to us and our children forever that we may observe all the words of this law.” Did you catch that promise? How exciting that God will reveal Truth to us and then plant those Truths in the lives of our children so that they too can obey Him!
Expect to be blessed. Yes, expect the struggle. Expect the confusion. But grab your Bible and read Revelation 1:3 for yourself. See what else we can expect as we read His Word!!!
Hang in there, my sisters!!!