Now more than ever – as Christians – the living, active, Word of God, the Bible – is truly the one source we can read today and be certain of. The only thing we can be sure of. It’s the only thing we can read and know with certainty to be true. It’s the only thing we can say to ourselves while we are reading: “I agree with what is being said here.” It’s the only truth we can rely on.
This is heavy. My heart is heavy. As a nation, many are grieving. I am.
That violence that has endured these past few weeks across our nation is horrific and unfathomable.
I am at a loss for words to accurately convey this stirring grief, anger, questioning, and calling out to the Lord in so many prayers.
If you’ve watched any news lately, opened any social media platform, you’re inundated with posts, comments, articles, videos – you name it – all written with, like this, edge” of truth to it.
The point today is not to get into the weeds of any of that.
But something has ignited within me that I can’t quite put into words yet, other than this deep desire to make the Love of Christ known to those who desperately need to see it, to feel it, to know it, to experience it for themselves.
And it starts in the Word of God. The Bible.
Biblical Basis for Truth
My hope and prayer for this post is to encourage you to dive into God’s Word. daily. Make time for Him. I promise you, it is the single, best decision you can make.
The Word of God is living and active.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joint and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God speaks to your situation. It really does. It can guide you. It will – if you let it.
This is a plea to – please seek Him out. Spend time in His Word. On your own. Make time for Him – your Creator – who holds all time in His hand anyway. Make time for Him. Read your Bible! If you don’t have one, check with your local church. Or, you can download the Bible on your phone. I personally love my physical Bible and turning the pages, highlighting, and making notes of passages of Scripture that jump out at me and speak to certain moments of my life .
Either way: Get into God’s Word.
Open it up and seek Him out. And as you do, your mind, your attitude, your worries, fears, anxieties – will start to be transformed. Transformed by Truth and peace.
You see – we either believe what His Word says – or we don’t.
We either allow God’s Word to lead us, to shape our character, to guide our decisions – or we don’t.
We either allow God’s Word to shape our world view – or we don’t.
If you find yourself right now sucked into reading everything in the news, on social media, all these different opinions and view points – take time, and please put it down. Set it down, and instead open up God’s Word.
So much is being said online, and with AI articles? How do we know whether an article we see is actually fact? it’s hard to know! It’s hard to know what to take at face-value or whether it’s completely true – or not.
And then add in numerous comments on social media – and you can quickly find yourself if you’re not careful, easily swayed by certain opinions of others. So. Many. Opinions. It’s exhausting.
In a world and culture right now, where people can say anything they want as “truth” and “their truth” right – it’s often said “what’s true for you may not be true for me” or “follow “your truth” – no! As Christians, we need to base what is truth on God’s Words. And His Word alone.
When you are in God’s Word every day, when you make time for Him, when you seek Him out, His Word? It will shape your identity – how you view yourself, how you think about yourself, feel “good” about yourself. You will start to see yourself as God sees you! It will shape your world view. It will shape how you communicate and interact with those whom you interact with every day.
Questioning What You Believe? Jesus Still Loves You!
What if you are not quite certain what you believe about Christianity. About God’s Word.
If that’s you: Jesus still loves you.
Jesus still loves you.
I think you need to hear that.
Just because you may not be certain what you believe, if you are questioning and wrestling with your faith right now as horrific world events unfold – Jesus still loves you.
With a sacrificial zeal that seeks your true good.
This love – this “sacrificial zeal that seeks the true good of another.” That is my favorite definition of love I have yet to hear. It has transformed my perception of love, and how to live it out.
That definition is from Dr. Del Tackett from the Engagement Project. It is absolutely profound.
It makes this “love” which we all want – it makes it about the other person; and not yourself. It’s truly, beautifully – it’s selfless.
You see – love has been twisted, watered down, stolen and redefined by Satan: love is not love.
God is love.
God. Is. Love.
And You are still loved by God, by your Savior – even if you don’t know Him yet.
If that is you, seek Him out.
It’s okay if you open up that Bible and are not certain what you believe.
But start. Open it up.
I promise you – actually God’s living, active Word does – that peace that transcendeds all understanding will start to guard your heart. And your mind.
If you are so certain that God does not exist – have you read God’s Word lately? Not someone else’s commentary on God, NOT someone else’s articles, views, tiktok, videos, podcast – whatever it may be – no, but God’s actual Word?
Have you read it lately?
Because it can be so tempting, so easy to allow our opinions, our beliefs, to be swayed and shaped by the words and influence of other people. And some can certainly be good, but we need to go to the source itself: God’s Word – the Bible.
We live in a culture today surrounded by influencers sharing their opinions, beliefs, – some very good – others not – but I implore you, please read God’s Word for yourself.
Not just someone else’s “take on it,” not someone else’s “opinion on it”
Open it for yourself. Go dust it off and start the best decision you could ever make.
Staying Out of the Media Weeds
If you have a solid faith in Christ, that is awesome! I encourage you to keep reading if you already do. And if you don’t have a daily routine in God’s Words? Start one .
I cannot say this enough – starting my day in the Word of God – it fuels my day. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like this “peace” that “peace that guards your heart and mind..” it settles into my day.
But try not to get sucked into the media weeds – and this is encouragement for myself as much as you listening – try not to get sucked in – but now more than ever, get into God’s Word. Seek Him out. God’s Word and the promises held in it – they will comfort you. They will help you. They will encourage you. They will lead you. They will guide you.
Comfort When You Are Grieving
I want to touch on grief quickly.
So many of us are grieving. Grieving the tragedies that have horrifically transpired around us.
Grieving the senseless violence that is prevalent today.
If you are grieving too, my heart goes out to you.
In addition to writing on here, I serve as a Stephen Minister and I want to share a little bit with you.
Each Stephen Minister is assigned a care receiver. A care receiver – that simply is someone who needs – it could be support, encouragement, a listening ear – as Stephen Ministers, we are assigned a person (female to female, male to male) who needs support – and it is completely confidential.
And recenlty, I was talking with my care receiver and her and I? We just cried together. Heartbroken. Both of us.
Sometimes we just need someone to be there, to be present, to hear us, to not judge us – I cannot say that enough – there is no judgement. And honestly? We, as Stephen Ministers, are trained so well – to not judge others – and this “no judgment” that we embody, it’s of course for the care receiver. But it’s also been for me. I have noticed, over my years serving as a Stephen Minister, and practicing over and over not judging someone else – it has woven into my character beyond just Stephen Ministry.
And I say that – not in a way like to “pat myself on the back” or “look at me” – please don’t miss what I mean here.
What I mean is this idea of not judging – that is Biblical- that is firmly grounded in God’s Word – it is a personal example of how God’s living, active Word can impact and touch every area of your life.
God’s Word: what a perfect example to follow.
We Will Never Always Agree With Words From Other People
When we’re reading articles or news, or other people’s commentary, watching other people’s video clips, listening to podcasts – even posts on this blog – you may not agree with every single part or comment.
And that’s okay.
And this is important – and I don’t want you to miss this – you may not agree with every spoken word from someone else or words you have read written by someone else.
In fact, we will never completely agree with every single last little thing someone else says or writes. We will not agree with them all the time. We won’t.
I love my husband more than anything – I don’t agree with everything he says all the time. I have a twin sister – we’re super close – I don’t always agree with everything she says, or her with me.
The point is – we will never always agree with words from other people.
But God’s Word has to be that foundation that you and I personally can always know to be a source of truth. A source we can go to when we are struggling.
Words to follow.
It’s God’s Word – His very Words. That is the one thing we can always be sure of. Know to be true when we read it.
A wise friend, her name is Sue Heimer. She speaks at women’s conferences and she’s phenomenal! I had the opportunity to meet her and hear her speak at a women’s conference a few years ago. From there, I help plan the White as Snow Women’s Conference at St. Lorenz and Sue was our first keynote speaker we brought in. And I really got to know her leading up to that first conference. In one of our many conversations, she had this to say and it has really stuck with me: she said this: “We may not always agree on every word someone else says or writes. But we have God’s Word.”
Oh how true that is. Especially now!
And that’s really where God’s Word has to come in. It’s the only source you and I can read and say to ourselves “I agree with what is said here”: It’s God’s Word.
It starts with God’s Word and truly knowing it and studying it for yourself. I can’t do that for you. The influencers you follow cannot do that for you. Your parents, your friends, your spouse, your pastor – cannot do that for you.
You have your own choice to make. I encourage you , when you want to pick up your phone and start scrolling for the latest updates – and before you know – how much time has passed?
Instead, open your Bible. It doesn’t have to be a long reading. Or a long amount of time. Start somewhere. Start in God’s Word.
I promise, it will be one of the best decisions you can possibly make for yourself. Go get reading!🙌💙🙌
