Word

"Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty." (Jeremiah 15:16)

I read and meditate on the scriptures almost every day.  It's been my practice for more than twenty years now.  There was a time, however, when I only opened the Bible at church or when I was preparing for a study of some kind.  I'll tell you what made the difference and what has driven me to the Word of God for these past two decades.  As a young youth pastor at First Baptist, Monterey, Tennessee, I was really struggling to reach my youth group.  I wasn't connecting with them and I was ready to quit.  In desperation, I started searching the scriptures every day to gain God's perspective.  Then it happened! One morning God spoke clearly and personally to me through His word.  He spoke to my circumstances in such a relevant way that I knew I had heard from God.  It was real, it was clear, it was emotional, and it was life-changing.  I've been hooked ever since.

If you haven't had an experience of hearing God speak through His Word, let me encourage to persevere.  Seek Him and he will be found.