What Happens if We Don't Read the Bible Daily

A friend who frequently speaks at women's retreats told me that once God gave her these instructions: "Less of your words; more of Mine." She took that message to heart. She arises early each morning to meet with the Lord through His Word. She wrote the following email after discovering a growth on her daughter's head where a malignancy had been removed. Her response reveals confidence in God--a direct result of her time in God's Word:

"Yesterday we were praising the Lord for the time that has elapsed without a problem; today we are praising the Lord He helped us find something. We must keep our focus by remembering that the Lord is in control.

"The first time her tumor appeared about two years ago, the Lord gave us a scripture from Isaiah. 'You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength' (Isaiah 26:3, 4 NKJV). Isaiah...sang a song urging the Israelites...to keep their minds steady on God who never loses control over events."

This mother's peace despite the circumstances can be explained by her daily time of listening to the Word.
Once we begin to allow our daily time with God to slip away, we begin to miss it less and less. Our desire for the Word diminishes with neglect. The result is that when a crisis comes we discover we have little strength. We lack a vision of a God who is in control and "sits enthroned over the flood" (Psalm 29:10). Rather than seeing the Lord ruling the uncontrollable flood of problems in our lives, we simply see the flood and are overwhelmed. It is those who hold tightly to their time with God who can confidently and calmly say "all things serve you" (Psalm 119:91).

Thank You, Jesus, for Your promise to meet us when we turn our attention to You.

"Happy are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates" (Proverbs 8:34 NLT).