Quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson

"If we encounter a man of rare intellect we should ask him what books he reads."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Helpful Tip Tuesday: Studying the Bible

"London preacher and Bible teacher Dick Lucas provides these six basic questions that, if asked, will prove helpful:

1.  What is the main point (or points) of the text?

2.  How can you tell what the main point is?

3.  How does your understanding of the text connect to what came immediately before and after?

4.  Does this text tell us about or point us to Jesus? How?

5.  What are the surprises in this text?

6.  What is the application of this text? How do you know?

     Get the big picture. After applying these questions to the text you are studying, ask this question: 'How is the text tied to the context of the whole Bible?'  This will help you avoid getting bogged down in the small details and enable you to gain an understanding of how a smaller section of the Bible fits into the big picture."

~As quoted in Disciplines of a Godly Woman, pg. 79-80

10 Good Reasons to Read God's Word

            "If you have trouble being in God’s Word every day, here are just a few of the many reasons to read the Bible that should inspire you:

1.       To know where you are going. You can’t foresee the future or exactly where you are heading, but God’s Word will guide you. “Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me” (Psalm 119:133)

2.      To have wisdom. Knowledge of God’s Word is where wisdom begins to grow in you. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7)

3.      To find success. When you live according to the teachings of the Bible, life works. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8)

4.      To live in purity. You must live a life of holiness and purity in order to enjoy more of the Lord’s presence, but you can’t be made pure without being cleansed through God’s Word. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” (Psalm 19:9)

5.      To obey God. If you don’t understand what God’s laws are, how can you obey Him? “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it” (Psalm 119:33-35)

6.      To have joy. You cannot be free of anxiety and unrest without the Word of God in your heart. “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:8)

7.      To grow in faith. You can’t grow in faith without reading and hearing the Word of God. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17)

8.      To find deliverance. You won’t know what you need to be free of unless you study God’s Word to find out. “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32)

9.      To have peace. God will give you a peace that the world can’t give, but you must find it first in His Word. “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165)

10.  To distinguish good from evil. Everything has become so relative today, how can you know for sure what is right and wrong without God’s Word? “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” (Psalm 119:11)."

 By: Stormie OMartian, Power of a Praying Woman

Five Minutes A Day

I've read in books in the past that the best way to keep your mind focused on an area you are working on is to read five minutes a day about that topic. I can say that has helped me! That is why (I'll speak for myself) I should read my Bible daily to keep my mind, my thoughts, my heart on God and not on all the other stuff that so easily distracts me. Which that happens SO easily! I like to try and read my five minutes a day on being a godly wife for my husband, child training/parenting as a mother, and Christian living as a disciple of Jesus. 

I encourage anyone to take the 5 minute challenge. A little morsel of wisdom is better than nothing!