Elevating Your Spiritual Journey with Daily Devotion in Scripture

We uncover the life-altering significance of immersing oneself in the Bible each day. If you've ever wondered how to elevate your spiritual walk to new heights, then this episode promises to be your guiding light. Together, we delve into the power of God's law to rejuvenate the soul and provide a steadfast compass through the tumultuous seas of life. Scripture, as we discuss, isn't just a wellspring of wisdom—it's the very essence of clarity and discernment that arms us against temptation and nurtures our growth in faith.

Brace yourself for heartfelt revelations and practical wisdom as we share our personal goals, like the uplifting challenge of savoring seven New Testament chapters daily. It's not just about reading; it's about engaging with the Word in a way that ignites a passion for the divine narrative deep within. Whether you're a seasoned believer or guiding the next generation, we offer enriching strategies like journaling reflections and seeking Christ in the scriptures, ensuring that every page turned is a step closer to a profound transformation. Join us in this sacred commitment to let the Bible shape our lives, decisions, and very beings as we pursue a year of unparalleled spiritual growth.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Psalms 19, 7-14. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandments of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous, altogether or to be desired. Are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than the honey and the honeycomb? Moreover, by them is thy servant warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servants also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, o Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Speaker 2: 1:15

RSM Teen Podcast is a podcast to engage and encourage teenagers in their walk with the Lord. We desire you to crave God's word and embark on a journey of making it a daily priority in your life. Now meet your guest of the day.

Speaker 1: 1:32

Why should we read our Bible. What is the importance and significance of reading God's word Again, brother Avery, with you here, and we've been talking about and discussing the Bible and just how exciting and life-giving the word of God truly is. So let me ask you again why should we read our Bible? Number one I want us to look at the God of our Bible brings growth, the word of God, and God of the Bible brings growth in our lives. As Christians, we must now read and study the Bible to learn how to take the next step of growth. You see, it's important that we're constantly growing in the Lord. Just Peter 2-2 says as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby. Our attitude about God and His word is very important. The way that we view that and the priority that it is in our life is important because it will determine the direction of our lives and we can know our Heavenly Father and His plans for our future by knowing His word better. Second Peter 3-18 says but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be both glory now and forever, amen.

Speaker 1: 2:57

I want us to also notice the word of God brings growth. But also the word of God helps us to resist temptation. God has given His word to man in order that we might show him how to live. He's going to show us how to live through His word. You see, this world is full of darkness, but the word of God is a light that brightens our way. So in 1-19-105, very familiar verse, absolutely love this verse the word thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It's been said, and we hear it often. But the Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible. If I was being honest with you that I tend to sin a whole lot more when I'm not touching my Bible, when I'm not walking daily with the Lord and understanding what His word has to say on certain topics, I tend to snap quicker at individuals and be more grouchy or grumpy with individuals. You see, when we're in God's word, it gives us a proper perspective. It helps us to view things more clear from an heavenly lens. Also, the Bible has power to change our lives. You see, when we apply the truths that are in God's Word, our lives, inevitably, 100%, will be changed.

Speaker 1: 4:26

The most powerful external evidence of the Bible's claim to be the Word of God is the testimony of a true believer, the testimony of a true life when walking out and carrying out the things that God's Word says is the greatest proof of the power of God's Word. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Think about that. How powerful that last line there in that amazing verses the Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. I don't know about you, but we need discernment when functioning in our day-to-day lives. Discernment is the ability to decipher, to understand between right and wrong, to understand between one decision and another decision, maybe a fork in the road type deal and God's Word gives the wisdom, the godly wisdom and discernment to be able to make those decisions in our lives. There is not a question in the world that we all wrestle with that we cannot take to the Word of God and get a clarity on that topic. Look, if you have questions, if you're considering certain things, go to God's Word and allow His Word to give you the discernment on those topics and areas in your life.

Speaker 1: 6:10

So why is God's Word so important? Why should we read God's Word? But also, we're going to hit today. When should we read the Bible? We should read our Bible daily. We should jump into God's Word on a daily basis and to understand His Word on a more personal level, each and every day. If the Bible is God's Word, then that means that it has the authority over our lives. And because God is the author of the Bible, we must take His Word and apply its truths to all that we say and do on a day-to-day basis. Acts 1711 says these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily. Whether those things were so, I don't know about you.

Speaker 1: 7:05

I don't know if you have a routine of when you get in God's Word or when you don't get in God's Word, but I have found that it is helpful to seek the Lord at the beginning of our day. It's helpful to seek the Lord at the beginning of our day Because God's Word does contain wisdom, it contains discernment and understands the intents of our heart and practical truths for everyday living. It's important, perhaps, to begin the day reading alone with the Lord in His Word. It's important to set aside all distractions. I don't know about you, but I've personally recently tried making it a habit of actually getting in a physical copy of God's Word and not necessarily just reading from my phone. Right, our phones ding, our phones have all kinds of distractions on there. I'm not saying reading the Bible from your phone is wrong. I read the Bible from my phone often. I study from my computer and the Bible on my computer and I cross-reference and I look at a bunch of different things on those devices. But I do know in doing that when a text message pops up, I'm more apt to look at that.

Speaker 1: 8:22

So what should we read? How should we read? Is there a right and wrong way to do it? The answer is no. There's not a right and wrong do it. There's all kinds of different methods, perhaps and maybe just take the Gospels At the beginning of each year. I think it's important for us to just lay the foundation and start in the Gospels. Maybe read Matthew, then Mark, then Luke, then John. I don't know exactly again how you want to do it. You could even do one year through your Bible plan. I will be honest with you that I have seemed to fail after this year in and year out. It's just such a large in your mind it's such a large task. It's daunting, but really when you break it down and do the actual math it comes out it's not that crazy.

Speaker 1: 9:14

Read four to seven chapters a day and you can easily get through the Word of God in a year. I made a goal this year to personally read through seven chapters a day of the New Testament and then that would give me every 40 days gives me a rotation of reading through the New Testament. And it's tough sometimes. Sometimes the reading might not necessarily be as intriguing or jump off the pages like other passages will be. But you'll notice there in Acts, chapter 17, verse number 11, again it says these were more noble than those in Thessalonica In that they received the Word with all readiness of mind. You see, there's a personal expectation that we are ready in our minds, that we have prepared our hearts and prepared our minds for the meat that's in God's Word.

Speaker 1: 10:06

I think perhaps one for teenagers and it would be awesome to do is just a Proverbs a day. There's 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs and you can hop in and get one in a day and as you read every single chapter, I want to challenge you with these questions and we're done for this week's study. But is there a command here for me? When you're reading Proverbs, chapter 1, is there a command here for me? Is there a sin that I must forsake? Does the book of Proverbs, chapter 1, talk about some kind of specific sin that I should be forsaking in my life? Is there a promise that I can claim? Is there some truth to gain from this passage, and how is Christ revealed here in this passage? I don't know if you keep a Bible reading journal or if you have a personal journal, but maybe do so. Maybe write down, as you go through the Word of God, certain verses that jump off the pages to you. I know you notice at the beginning of every episode. This week we played Psalms, chapter 19, 7 through 14.

Speaker 1: 11:24

God's Word is perfect. It changes us when we give it the attention that it deserves. It will 100% change our lives, and so we're going to get into more practical and actually jump into different passages and discuss them briefly as we go through the new year, which I'm beyond excited about, but will you join me in 2024 having a love and a passion for God's Word? Let's stop letting it collect dust, let's stop having it not be effective in our hearts and in our minds, but let's allow it to penetrate our hearts, penetrate our minds, to give us discernment on our day to day decisions, to be the guidebook of what we should be doing or what we should not be doing in our lives. Hey, let's grow together in the Word in 2024.