Relishing God's Word

A couple months ago, Revive Our Hearts held their 2015 conference entitled Women Helping Women. Allison and I didn’t attend, but we set aside Friday & Saturday to live-stream the conference. Boy was it worth it!

If I had to pick a favorite speaker I would choose Jen Wilkins. Jen’s heart for the word was contagious and inspiring. I was challenged to start thinking deeply about God’s Word in order to feel deeply about God!

During the conference Jen said “We should feel deeply about God but that feeling should come from thinking deeply about him.  We are transformed not by our feelings but our thinking. Right thinking should inform right feelings.” Her goal was to show us that deep feeling about God comes from studying him in the word. We don’t often rush to meditate on God’s character when we read a text of Scripture; I know I don’t. I rush to the application—what can I take away from this passage to get me through the day? What God has shown me is that when I see Him in his Word it will affect my life. I can’t behold God and not be changed.

In light of Jen's sessions, I was challenged to start asking these three questions while reading the Word.

1. What do I see about God in this passage? 
2. What does this passage say about me in relation to God? 
3. How should seeing God in this passage change me? 

A second thing Jen Wilkin said that stood out to me was, “The best tool you can give women is to pray. Any study of God’s word that doesn’t involve prayer before, during and after will not be felt deeply. We become what we behold—stop and look at Jesus.”

It hadn’t really dawned on me the importance of praying that God would show me himself before, during and after I read the word. I pray for God to show me more of himself often, but not alongside reading the Bible.

Guess what? The Review Our Heart conference sessions areavailable online! I hope you’ll take time to listen to at least one of the sessions that you too may be challenged and encouraged by the Word!

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

• Do you cherish your time in the Word?
• Do you rush through your Bible reading to get to the daily application?
• Are you ready to think deeply about the passage you read?