Day 1: The beginning.

We are beginning this study by reading Proverbs chapter 1, then Psalm chapters 1-5. Before you read, pray that God will reveal his truths and heart to you. Sincerely enter this reading with an open heart and mind, being ready for God to start changing you!

 -Read Proverbs & Psalms-

What is the point of reading the bible? What is the point of this study for you? Is it to obtain wisdom? Discipline? Or is it simply to learn more about our creator? No matter your answer, “Let us begin. The worship of the Eternal One, the one true God, is the first step towards knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:7, the Voice). Honestly, I believe that is the first step towards anything; knowledge, peace, joy, or discipline. The question is, what are you searching for? Try starting with worshiping your heavenly father, your Abba. Worship has an incredible way of setting up our hearts and minds to receive truths God has for us. Take a minute and WORSHIP him! Take a moment and write down some praise towards heaven.

Which brings us to step 2. “Instead you thrill to God’s word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.” (Psalms 1:2-3, the MSG). I love the visual picture of “chewing”. It matters what we eat, what we ingest. It is important to “chew” on good things! Focusing on ingesting God’s word is one of the most essential things we can do. You know the saying, “Good things in…” Think about it this way, for every minute we spend in the scriptures, that is one more minute we have invested in eternity. Good news, you’ve already spent almost an hour investing in eternity today! Think about ways you can chew/meditate on what you’ve read later today.

God uses his word to teach us, correct us, and sometimes rebuke our behavior or attitude. The great news is, if you “Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” (Proverbs 1:23, NKJ). This is my personal favorite. If you humble yourself and bow before your Father, study the scriptures with an open heart and learn from your Master, Jesus, then the Holy Spirit will make his will known to you. Now, if you are a follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit (I like to call him “Friend”, re: John 14:16-17 MSG version) resides in you and works in and through you. BUT, if you want to experience God in a tangible, real way, and want to be able to recognize his voice, you have to be willing to make him priority. Not just a part of our lives, but THE priority. He speaks to us, gives us words when we need them, stops us from dangerous situations, and sends us encouragement through friends and family. He will make His words known to us, and make no mistake, he has words for you! And it is my prayer that over the next month, together we will learn to recognize his voice through the Holy Spirit, because it WILL change our lives! I know, it has already begun to change mine.

My personal prayer for us today:

Abba, give us an attitude of praise today. Let us see you and worship you in everything we encounter. Help us "chew" and meditate on the scriptures we read today. Make them fill every crevice in our minds and hearts. Help us recognize the Holy Spirit and respond to his prodding. Reveal yourself to us today and show up tangibly. You are always there, just open our eyes to recognize you. We love and honor you.
Amen