Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
10/14/2021
Will you give 1% of your awake time to God?
Current research indicates that people in their twenties never disconnect from being online until they go to bed each night. That’s hours upon hours of social media impact!
But listen to these encouraging stats: If a person spends only 1% of their awake time engaging God’s Word, it can transform 100% of their life. What is 1%? If someone is awake 16 hours a day, or 960 minutes, 1% is 9.6 minutes. That doesn’t sound like much time, but it shows the power of God’s Word and His transforming work.
This isn’t a movie or a motivational speech.
It’s not inspirational but transformational.
“I don’t want to simply bless people. I want to do more than that. I want to use God’s Word to help transform them.”
Those were the words of Bible teacher Woodrow Kroll, and I couldn’t have agreed more!
Our greatest relationships influence and shape our lives for the good or bad. Our parents, siblings, family, grandparents, preachers, teachers, co-workers, friends. They say we will become a composite of three things; The people we hang around, the books we read and the music we listen to. So who are you in relation to those three? How did each of them shape you? Have you thought about the very fabric and character of your existence that comes from those three? If you would you could unravel some tremendous insight into why you do what you do and who the influencers were.
The Books we read: The benefits of reading the bible are truly endless but this list offers 10 benefits from spending time in God’s Word.
1. Learn about, know, and worship God.
2. Grow in our faith.
3. Learn God’s truths.
4. Realize our need for Him.
5. Seek forgiveness.
6. Safeguard against false teaching.
7. Receive guidance on how to live.
8. Know what is true.
9. Fill us with hope.
10. Be equipped to live for God.
It’s more than a “manual for living” though, it’s a compass to the God of the universe and reveals to us who God is. Paul tells us Romans 15:4 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+15%3A4&version=NLT) , “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
In a wishy-washy world, we need truths that we can hold firmly to. How are we to know God’s truth if we are not spending time in His Word?
Story after story, we learn about others that also desperately needed God. We can learn from their mistakes, failures, lessons, and influence. More than that, we can see where God showed up and we can know that he will do it again for us!
When we seek forgiveness of our sins and open up God’s Word, we are flooded with His sweet redemption.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+john+1%3A9&version=NLT)
Repent, then, and turn from God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts+3%3A19&version=NIV)
How gracious He is to us! We learn of His attributes through His Word.
The bible is our standard to test against everything that claims to be true. Feelings (https://raiseyoursword.com/how-to-find-gods-presence-in-the-chaos/) , emotions, and opinions are all subjective and ever-changing.
God’s word is true. (John 17:17 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+17%3A17&version=NIV) )
The world bombards us with false advertising, enticing lies, and non-biblical assertions. It’s so important we read the bible so that we can recognize what is false and not of God.
Seriously, God desires to walk our life with us and guide and direct our steps. (Proverbs 3:6 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+3%3A6&version=NIV) )
He offers guidance on relationships, marriage, righteous living, health, finances, parenting, and so much more.
Let His word guide you on how to live.
The more time we spend in our bibles and lean on the Holy Spirit to teach us, the more we grow to know what is true.
What happens when you read the bible every day?
Have you ever stopped to consider what happens when you read the bible every day? As you read the bible little by little each day, eventually you will read the entire bible! The benefits of the word of God will seep into all aspects of your daily living. As you read the bible daily, you’ll go from learning about God to knowing God to living surrendered to God!
The Benefits of reading God’s word are endless. When we open our bibles, we meet Him. The more we do so, the more we learn His heart and His character. Can you fathom the benefits of reading the whole bible?
I could not close with strong words than his words. Psalm 1 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+1&version=NLT) “Blessed is the who..who delights in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.”
** Graves Into Gardens (Lyrics) – Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTvv-9zosPs
Excerpts are taken from 10 Amazing Benefits of Reading the Bibleby Erin (https://raiseyoursword.com/author/raiseyq8/) at raise your sword.com
