"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, not sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night."
Psalm 1:1-2
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"I need a break."
I can't tell you how many times those words cross my lips in a one week period. Parenting a 4-year old and a 2-year old is proving to be quite the challenge these days. My husband so graciously reminded me the other day that they didn't come with a return policy. They are ours for the keeping... and the training... and the loving... and the instructing... and the encouraging... and the disciplining... and the DISCIPLE-ing. God gave them to us, and we are fully capable of bringing them up to maturity. And God doesn't call us to do something that He isn't fully able to equip us for, right?
So why do I feel so UN-capable and UN-equipped most days?
As I've pondered that question I've come to see that it's a two-fold problem:
(1) I'm relying on my own strength and "knowledge" and not God's strength and "wisdom", and (2) when I do get a break I choose activities that satisfy my flesh instead of ones that feed my spirit.
How can I possibly find God's strength and wisdom amidst the long, trying days of mothering little ones if I'm not filling myself up with Him in times of rest?
As hard as it it to remember them most days, there are moments of rest in our house each day. The problem is, I'm not taking full advantage of those restful moments. Instead of spending time meditating on God's Word, I turn to other things that only give temporary fulfillment. It's not that leisurely activities are bad, but lately I've been finding myself turning to everything else before God's Word when I have a little time to myself.
The Precept Ministries Blog provided two great articles a couple of months ago that really encouraged me. Often when I think Bible study, I think piles of commentaries and hours of uninterrupted time. These articles reminded me that Bible study doesn't have to be that involved all the time. I can still have a rich study time in God's Word even in the midst of the most hectic days of mothering.
Take a few moments to read these articles, would you?
Take a few moments to read these articles, would you?
I implemented reading Psalms right away and was immediately reminded that true
fulfillment and joy can only come through God and His Word (hello, Psalm 1!). Delighting
in God's Word and obeying it will make bring far greater fulfillment and
joy than any earthly thing. It must be my highest priority.
I love the inductive method of Bible study, especially since I'm a visual person. I've studied this way before, but I had forgotten how much insight could be gained through this method. Unfortunately, I don't have The New Inductive Study Bible, which would help with all of the markings. Instead I use biblestudytools.com to copy and paste my readings for the week into Microsoft Word, double- spacing to leave room for markings. All of my lists, observations, and applications can be written directly onto my printed pages.
If you've never done inductive Bible study before, let me also recommend the book "Lord, Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days." It's a great starting point for learning the inductive Bible study method while putting it into practice. I did this study sometime last year, and really enjoyed it. Here is a glimpse of one of my observations worksheets from the book:
I would also recommend reading more about inductive Bible study on the Precept Ministries International website.
Are you searching for joy and fulfillment in all the RIGHT places?
Happy studying!
P.S. I'm linking up with The Better Mom blog today! Click the button below to read more encouraging articles for moms!
P.S. I'm linking up with The Better Mom blog today! Click the button below to read more encouraging articles for moms!
