The Bible Changes Everything

I have just finished reading the entire Bible for the first time and it took me 5 years.

I grew up going to church, I went to Sunday school and learned the classic Bible stories as a child. I prayed, I knew God. It wasn’t until I was 29 and pregnant with my first child that I allowed God to be number one in my life. I started reading one Bible verse a day, delivered to me each morning through the YouVersion App. Some of those verses spoke directly into my current situation and I clung to them. Some of those verses are still my favourite today and still relevant to my current life. Thats the cool thing about the Bible, it is living and active just like our God.

I am an intense person. I have learned this about myself and I now accept my intensity as one of my gifts. Intensity unharnessed can be reckless though, it can be an unquenchable hunger and it can be an over powering force for destruction seeking purpose in all the wrong places. My intensity was just this, it was my downfall.

The cool thing about God is that he can take characteristics that are possibly unfavourable and turn them into our superpowers for good. He designed me with intensity to do His Kingdom work, not serve my desires. Using my intensity to feed my flesh only caused me harm and sadness but handed over to God, my intensity becomes something that drives purpose and fulfillment.

When I started reading the Bible more diligently and spending time in prayer with God daily, I started to feel nudges about things I needed to change in my life. I still feel these gentle corrections today and as long as I am alive I know God will continue to refine me. But the refinement is not my work, it’s not my strength making changes in my life, it’s the work of God in my life. One of the ways I hear the guidance of God is through reading His word.

You know how they say “you are what you eat” the Bible is true soul food. If you are thinking you want to start reading the Bible but are overwhelmed by the thought of it, you are not alone friend, I have been there. I had tried reading the Bible so many times and failed. With the right tools, it’s not hard to understand and it is so relevant to our present day. Get the Word into you and some good changes are sure to come out. Get some time in with God everyday and He is sure to work out some challenges in you.

Its not religion its relationship.

Knowing God does not make everything perfect but it does make it purposeful.

You don’t have to worry about the hard work, thats Gods job, you just have to show up everyday with an open heart and mind.

In the last 5 years God has set me free from anxiety, addiction to alcohol, walked me through sickness and in spite of my short comings still chases after me with love and calls me by name to a unique path. Following God is the best adventure I have ever known.

The game changing Bible Study app for me was First 5, you can check it out in the app store or learn more at Proverbs 31 Ministries.

I am so glad I started reading the Bible those 5 years ago and I am excited to continue reading and uncovering what God has prepared for me.

xoxo

Audrey