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Just tonight as I was washing dishes after getting the kids in bed, I was thinking about the children in our church and how awesome it is to hear that some of them are beginning to study God’s word on their own, and it made me think of my own journey in studying God’s word as a child.
When I was around nine or ten years old my dad encouraged me to have daily devotionals, and so, eager to please both him and my Heavenly father, I began studying the Bible every morning. I’d always seen my parents have morning devotions, and I had done so myself on and off. But now desire grew in me to know my heavenly Father better, and this was the best way I knew how to do that.
I soon learned about different Bible translations and study guides. I loved looking at the maps in the back of my Bible to see where the things I read about had transpired, and I fell in love with its abbreviated concordance as well. Paul’s epistles soon became special favorites of mine as I could always find verses in them that both encouraged me and gave me practical direction.
I don’t remember having any huge revelations or immediate leaps of faith, however the habit of having daily morning devotions has never left me, and it has been a lifeline through all the ups and downs of life. It certainly was helpful preparation for facing the nightmares that I wrote on May 25.
Sometime around this age or shortly after I remember my father giving me the opportunity to share something from my devotions with our family for our family devotion time in the evening. This probably seemed like a little thing at the time, but looking back now I see it as a huge step in my spiritual journey. I LOVED getting to share what God had shown me with my parents and siblings. It gave me such zeal for God’s word and for sharing it with others.
As I’ve grown older and spent more and more time with my Savior, I’ve come to realize that this spiritual growth that I experienced through sharing God’s word with my family was completely natural. We’re not meant to keep what God does in us to ourselves. We grow best when we’re allowing Him to not only fill us but also to overflow our cup onto others. When we share what the Lord has taught us and done in us, we are functioning like the members of Christ’s body – edifying and encouraging one another.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. - Colossians 3:16
I used to think that talking about what God has shown me was prideful, and so I didn’t do it that much. I didn’t want to appear like I had the Christian life all figured out. I now realize that pride was, in fact, what was keeping me from sharing more openly with others. We were created to reflect God’s majesty and beauty, and any attempt to hamper that is tragic and harmful.
So shout to the world what God is doing in you, friends!
My mouth will tell of Your righteous acts, of Your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of Your righteousness, Yours alone. O God, from my youth You have taught me, and I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things. O God, who is like You? - Psalm 71:15-19
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