For real? For real? I can't believe I lost wrote on the blog in 2011. I told you I go through seasons of posting. A lot has changed since I last wrote. The most important change has been an addition to our family. In May, 2012 we welcomed Mack into the Bailey household. He is now 8 months old and we fall more and more in love with him each day. He loves his big brother. He wants to be with Judah all the time. He also loves to eat, and it quite the chunk-munk. He is a big boy! Very healthy!
Back in November 2012, I joined a social media bible study with 12 other woman from all over the USA. It has been a great opportunity for me to dive deeper into God's word. More than anything, it has been a great accountability tool for me. These women, who I have never met, have blessed me with encouragement, prayers, and friendship. In January we started a new study. It is a seven day/week study. Our leader wrote to us at the beginning that it would be different because it was a 7 vs 5 day study. Then she said, "but we aren't supposed to take time off from God's word anyways". And just like that a light bulb went off. I will admit...in the 18 years I have been serving Christ, I have almost always taken time off from the word (vacation time, weekends, laziness, etc.). So I made a commitment to stay in God's word seven days a week. I asked my teens to join in the fun with me. I started a secret group on facebook for them to post daily what they have been reading in the Word. I have posted everyday for 23 days. For the first time in my life I have read God's word for 23 days straight! I know I am a youth pastor and all, but I pray I am not the only one brave enough to admit that?
Just this week I was reading Psalm 86:11,
"Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name." (ESV)
I was writing away in my journal and it wasn't until the very end that I went back to re-read the verse. FEAR popped off the page and quickly caught my attention. Suddenly the whole scripture began to speak volumes to me. God's Word always flows at the perfect time in life. It is because His word is His active Voice. He is ALIVE and so is His Word!
This scripture (or I will call it my new prayer), ask for the Lord to teach ME His ways so that I can walk in truth. Then it ends with "unite my heart to fear your name". Why does my heart need uniting? Because I have a tendency to put my focus, attention, time, love, hunger, passion, etc. into things other than God. God needs my whole heart, not just a part of it. He needs me every day, not just 5 days a week. He needs my whole heart to focus on Him. When I fear the Lord I will have wisdom. When I have wisdom I will know how to walk in the way of truth. How do I know that? Proverbs 1:2-7 tells me:
"To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth-
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction." (ESV)
But how do I have the fear of the Lord? By standing in His presence! And I do that by not taking breaks from Him and giving Him my whole heart every day!
