“This God – his Way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30 ESV

My word for 2023 is truth. No, I’ve never had a word for the year before, and yes, this word is a result of an online quiz (Covid caught me just before New Year’s, so the beginning of my year included a lot of online quizzes, especially quizzes claiming to know my age based on my food or color choices – I get an odd satisfaction from proving them wrong.)

But this word is a good fit for me, because in a world full of information and opinions, I want to know the truth. . . and I want to speak truth.

Truth about God

Truth about who I am

Truth about what’s going on in my life

First, One Question. . . 

To speak the truth about God, we need to know the truth about God.

So, I have one question for you.

Do you believe the Bible, or not?

It’s exactly as cut and dry as it sounds.

Either you believe what the Bible says, or you don’t. We can’t pick and choose parts of the Bible to believe and parts to disregard.

Because the Bible is the truth about God.

And there are no words to describe how amazing that is.

Girl, Read Your Bible

I saw this expression in a social media post, and it pops into my head regularly (in a variety of accents).

Because more often than not, the truth of who God is – powerful and comforting, omniscient and loving – will fix what ails me.

And that truth is found in the Bible.

So, I turn to my “comfort books” Genesis and Psalms (like comfort food, but minus the calories). In Genesis I read how God fulfills His promises. In Psalms I read how God hears my cries and is my stronghold.

And sometimes I just sit and hold my Bible, because having the words spoken by God actually in my hands is enough.

Where do I start?

Start anywhere. 

• Do a Google search for Bible verses focusing on a particular topic. 

• Subscribe to a website with a verse of the day (my go to is BibleGateway.com – there’s nothing quite checking my email at 4:00 AM and seeing the words “Do all things without grumbling” to propel my day in the right direction). 

• Find a verse in your Bible that you remember and read the entire chapter. 

• Search online for a Bible reading plan. I’m using one from Navigators.org this year. I read verses from 4 different books of the Bible every day, and then I get to mark the checkboxes! I like this plan, as opposed to reading straight through the Bible, because I don’t spend a week in Leviticus – but that’s just me. 

It doesn’t matter where you start – just start.

And then don’t stop. Don’t stop reading, don’t stop learning, and don’t stop discovering the truth of who God is. 

Girl, read your Bible.

How often are you spending time reading and learning from God’s Word? What one step can you take today to move closer toward the truth of who God is?

“This God – his Way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30 ESV