I'm so pleased to introduce today's guest blogger, Beth, from 'Tis Mercy All. Beth and I have several things in common, among which are having five children of the same gender, attending a UMS school, and a love for God's Word. You'll find the latter to be at the heart of how she knows...that indeed 'tis mercy all:
What fun to help celebrate Ruth’s 500th post by writing a guest post! I’m Beth from Texas, and I praise God for the similarities Ruth and I share. Our hearts beat in sisterly time when it comes to Jesus, family, His calling on our lives, and His Word. There are many commonalities between us, but my favorite is that we have both been blessed with the unique privilege of having five children of the same sex – for Ruth, it’s boys, for me it is girls.
Ruth posted several months ago on the importance of setting apart the first part of the day for time with the Lord, and being willing to rise very early.
I remember when I first learned, the hard way, that I must be diligent to take in scripture daily. It was during my engagement twelve years ago, and I was falling apart emotionally, definitely not thinking clearly. So I cried my eyes out with my clear-thinking dad, who asked me, "Have you been reading your Bible every day?" It was that situation--that question, that highlighted for me the non-negotiability of filling my heart and mind with God’s Word every.single.day.
Five children later, I’m just as convinced of that necessity, but obviously the demands on my time have increased exponentially! One thing must stay the same: time with Jesus in His Word. Without it, I lose Perspective and live with narrow, earth-bound vision. Minus my daily Meals from the Bible, I’m just not prepared to face the onslaught of relational and practical challenges that come with every new morning. My goal is to beat the family to the punch in the morning. Sometimes this means getting up at 4:45 am or so, which is hard. But I have to remember: there is nothing more important than knowing Christ, nothing more worthy of my time than seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness! If I don’t hop to it early, the momentum of the day might carry me away before I realize it. And for those days when morning finds me having slept very little, my plan is to stop and take in scripture at the very first opportunity, stopping all other activity to do so – everything else can wait while I feed my soul. Sometimes this might mean reading I Timothy in the bathroom on my iPhone with the door locked, because He has said,
You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
Let’s go into this new year with hearts eager, willing, and committed to loving and feasting on God’s Word!
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Thank you, Beth, for reminding us to nourish our souls! {Be sure to stop by Beth's blog for warmth and wisdom!}
***Don't forget to scroll down a few posts to enter the giveaway on my 500th post!***