The older I get the more I realize I need His Words in my life. As a teenager, a young Bible college student, and even a young married wife and mom, I read my Bible every day; but I did it more out of “this is what I am supposed to do” rather than “this is what I need.” Oh! There were days when I would run to Him and His Word out of necessity, but more often than not it was what I did out of habit. As our family began to grow and my responsibilities in church grew, I began to go to His Word more out of need, but still I did things in my own strength unfortunately. I knew I needed God in my head, but it had not fully reached my heart. 

    Fast forward to 2010, and our family of nine moved to the Philippines. Life was no longer comfortable; life was no longer easy; life was no longer doable in my own strength. I needed God daily. 

    Psalm 119:28 - “My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.” Suddenly, I needed strength greater than I had. 

    Psalm 119:59 - “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” I knew I needed His Words daily!

    My husband often describes a walk with God as a “constant awareness of God in my life.” There was not much that I did in a day where I was not asking God for strength, wisdom, and His grace. My walk with God became a necessity, not just a duty. (I honestly don’t think there is anything wrong with doing your duty, even when you don’t feel like it. That’s called character, and I’m thankful that I still read my Bible daily and received wisdom from His Word daily!) 

    God had humbled my thoughts about me and my abilities. Psalm 119:71 - “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” Not that I was afflicted, but I had things that daily drove me to Him. 

    Here are a few things my Bible became to me during our first year on the mission field and still remain 13 years later:

1. Right and faithful. Psalm 119:75 - “I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” Whatever was happening in my life, He was right and faithful, and His Words were right and faithful to help me. 

2. A comfort. Psalm 119:76 - “Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.” The promises in His Word comforted me. His strength became very evident in my weaknesses. 

3. Soundness of heart. Psalm 119:80 - “Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.” His Words are not just good suggestions or guidelines, they are sound (good, solid, proven) teachings for me to follow. 

4. My hope. Psalm 119:81 - “My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.” Many things were strange and different to me or just plain hard, but my hope was not in me, my husband, or my church; it was in His Word and in the Almighty, Living God!

5. My delight. Psalm 119:92 - “Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.” Today I can’t wait to spend time in God’s Word; It is truly my delight, and I usually wish I had more time to read and study It. Not because I am a good Christian - not at all! It’s because I know I need Him. I know without Him I can do nothing! (John 15:5 - “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”)

    Anything good that God has allowed me to do in this life is because of His merciful goodness and grace in my life. Let me encourage you to fall in love with your Bible. You’ll never want to go back to just reading It; It is the very Words of God to us!!

Proverbs 3:5-7