Small Moments Might Just be the Big Ones, by Ashley Anthony
“We might daily read Scripture, pray, serve, and worship, but we might find they don’t always produce fruit as quickly as we’d like them to. Growth seems slow and sometimes tedious. These small moments—do they really make a difference at all? The life of the prophetess Anna declares that these small moments do make a difference—and not only do they make a difference, but these small moments are more significant than we might think.” Small Moments Might Just be the Big Ones by Ashley Anthony
Why Should We Memorize God’s Word?
“How often do we scroll through Instagram, Facebook, or Google for help on a situation we’re walking through? How quick are we to shoot a text to a friend for advice or help? It’s so easy for us to look to tangible helps to soothe our souls (and there is good to be found in these things!). But how often do we neglect first going to the Word as our primary help? While our lives are ever-changing, God’s Word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven (Psalm 119:89). The Word of the Lord is perfect, flawless, (Psalm 18:30), and will stand forever (Isa. 40:8). The Bible is living and active, it has the power to speak to our hearts (Heb. 4:12), and it will not return empty (Isa. 55:11). In all things, the Bible speaks a more relevant word and offers timeless truths that will never pass away (Luke 21:33).” Why Should We Memorize God’s Word? by Hunter Beless
Expect God's Word to Change You
“Do you ever wonder if God’s Word is making a difference in you? Maybe you read, memorize, and study it, but you’re not sure it’s doing much good. Take heart! Even when you don’t feel it, God is continually using his Word to transform you from the inside-out.” - Expect God's Word to Change You by Laura Booz
How Should We Cry Out to God?
“In so many ways I see the tension between brokenness and beauty, injustice and promised redemption, Jesus’ finished work and the pain that still exists in our world. And as I wander through this broken world with my broken body, I am encouraged by the model I see from the psalmist: a model of honest, true, broken lament that leads to sure, true, steadfast hope. I see him enter into the grief, acknowledge the brokenness, and yet in the midst of it still cling to faith in God. My heart swells at the thought, “could my grief be the very path that leads me to deeper hope?”” - How Should We Cry Out to God? by Lauren Bowerman
Grief's Path To God
“In our grief, we wait. Our souls wait for God to show up, to redeem, to carry us through. We hope in his word, his promises, his character. This is the intersection of pain and promise, this place of waiting in our grief. It may not be the grief of losing someone you love. It may be the death of a dream that you grieve, the loss of a relationship, the disappointment of a spouse’s choices or even the inability to conceive. It may be the loss of an ability, health, or youth. We bring these losses to God and we wait. But notice how we wait.” - Grief’s Path to God, by Christine Gordon and Hope Blanton
Confess Your Sins—and Sing!
“David, our psalmist, stands before a great Judge in Psalm 32. But he does so to argue his guilt—not his innocence. David admits his sins and instead of a conviction, this Judge grants forgiveness and full pardon. What kind of Judge is this? What criminal justice system on earth acquits a confessing offender? How should we understand this passage? How does Psalm 32 encourage a Christian to make bold confessions of sin before the holy Judge of heaven?” - Confess Your Sins–And Sing! by Nana Dolce
Knowing God Through His Word
“There was an un-transformative belief that saturated the halls of my college; a lostness that hummed at the bottom of empty bottles. I lived in that hollow reality for 23 years, and it was only by God’s grace that I finally saw the light. When I think about the year God called me to himself, my heart is burdened for the women who believe a gospel contrary to the life-changing one I know. My heart is burdened because in realizing just how desperately fallen I was, I saw the beauty of God’s grace.” - Knowing God Through His Word by Amy Hornbuckle
Suffering Turns Our Hearts to God
“In suffering and trials, we clearly see our need for God’s help. And when we call out to him, he runs to provide it. He walks with us through dark valleys, assuring us we are never alone (Ps 23:4). He gives us joy in his presence (Ps 16:11), surrounds us with steadfast love (Ps 32:10), revives us with his word (Ps 19: 7), waits to be gracious to us (Is 30:18), and renews our strength (Is 40:31). Our neediness becomes a blessing because it makes us seek the Lord and depend on his strength.” - Suffering Turns Our Hearts to God by Vaneetha Risner
Serving the Lord With Gladness
“To this day, I still struggle to feel glad about the work God establishes for me. Sure, I may serve him outwardly, but my heart often feels rascally, sulky, and angry. Does God really expect me to feel glad about the interruptions, messes, and do-overs that derail me from day to day? Yet in those moments, it’s helpful for me to remember that the entirety of Psalm 100:2 points to the spark that will ignite gladness in our hearts.” - Serving the Lord with Gladness by Laura Booz
Snuggled Up Tight in Providence
“I’ve crawled up under the literal blanket called providence a whole bunch of times, and I’ve hidden under the wing called Providence more times than I can count, and certainly more times than I know. When it looks like a physical, emotional, or spiritual case for Doc McStuffins’ Big Book of Boo Boos, I hope to remember the quilt called providence, and maybe tuck myself or my loved one up in it.” - Snuggled Up Tight In Providence by Holly Mackle
The Fruit of Cultivating a Heart of Thankfulness
“Sometimes trials lay heavy on our shoulders, curving us inward and making it difficult to look up. Thankfulness can feel impossible when suffering closes in. When those times come, and come they will, maybe what we need most is to be reminded of what God has done and is doing. Yet, many of us also struggle to be thankful when our life is going smoothly. Instead, we might be anxious about what’s to come or maybe we’re busy living in a facade of self-sufficiency. Regardless of the season we face today, we can begin to cultivate a heart of thankfulness.” - The Fruit of Cultivating a Heart of Thankfulness by Brittany Allen
The Lord's Nearness and Our Good
“There are times when we don’t necessarily feel God’s nearness to us. And it is then that it is absolutely vital to regularly be immersing our souls in Scripture. One of the places I consistently turn to is the book of Psalms. The Psalms give us language for our lament and teach us how to pray honestly before the Lord. The Psalms remind us of the character of God and foretell our Savior. In our moments of distress, we cry out, because the psalmists model for us what it’s like to bring all of our feelings and emotions to God.” - The Lord’s Nearness and Our Good by Chelsea Patterson Sobolik
The Blessings and Benefits of Scripture Memorization
“Though I have long praised the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading and prayer, I put memorization in an extra-credit category for the super-spiritual. It’s hard enough committing to daily study, but memorizing Scripture? That’s for pastors, missionaries, and perhaps children who can’t read yet, right? I had access to a Bible any time I needed it. What was the point of memorizing it? I could flip through the pages of my Bible or swipe through verses on my ESV app. Does the extra step of memorizing Scripture really matter?” - The Blessings and Benefits of Scripture Memorization by Glenna Marshall