by Guest Blogger Allison Gingras

Scripture. God’s Word. The Bible.

What do those words mean to you?

Do you consider the Word of God as useful in your own daily life? Does it seems strange that an ordinary book on your shelf could be so important to every day decision-making, behavior-choosing, life-happenings?

If I were asked this in 2005, I would have answered with a resounding, “no way, it is just an old book with old guys’ opinions in it.”  That was of course before I actually read it; and long before someone explained how the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and then I witnessed God using it to introduce Himself more deeply to me. How can I even put into words what it is like to sit with the Bible, open up a page (even a seemingly random page) and have a message jump off the pages that you KNOW is just for you — for that day and in that moment? It is amazing . . . it is crazy but hard to deny the Divine intervention when it happens.

What other book can you learn from, be moved by, feel as if someone is talking JUST to you? @reconciledtoyou Click To Tweet

What other book on your shelf can you pick up day after day and learn from, be moved by, feel as if someone is talking JUST to you? For me the answer to that question is NONE! No other book draws me in – every day – like the Holy Bible. None.

How does that happen? How does one move from not even owning a Bible to having multiple ones; and some so tattered I have to ‘retire’ them?  Let me share how this happened to me:

• Took it one day at a time.
• Joined with others to study the Scriptures and share in this earthly journey of faith.
• Memorized verses. The ones that really struck a chord in my heart, I choose to keep there. I would write them on index cards and stick them around the house – bathroom mirror, fridge door, my laptop – any place I knew I’d frequently be looking!!
• Invited the Holy Spirit to be my guide.
• Made it habit by putting it on my calendar and adding it to my to-do list, then not skipping when it came up on either!
• Appointments with Jesus and the Word of God are super important! I like my “coffee with Christ” in the mornings or the “snuggles with Scripture” before bed whenever I can.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.

“Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.”

Colossians 3:16

One summer I felt the nudge to offer a six-week faith sharing on The Purpose Driven Life for the women of my parish. I had never done anything like this before, but the more I felt the Scriptures opening my heart to Jesus and helping me to really hear His voice in my life, the more I felt called to share this with others. First, I had to obtain permission from my pastor. The odds of him allowing a Bible newbie to facilitate a group on the Scriptures, nevermind that the newbie was using an ecumenical book as her guide, were slim. I fretted for days on how to proceed. I even considered asking the Congregational Church if I could hold a group there. My husband, who generally stays out of my fretting, insisted I needed to ask our priest first. One Friday afternoon, he got me so worked up over the matter (aka madder than a hornet), that I grabbed my book and stormed out the door with a, “FINE, whatever, I’ll just drive over there right now and ask him!”

It is important to note that this was Friday, and I was well aware it was my pastor’s day off; the drama was mostly for show – but I still went through the motions. As I drew closer to the church, there was road construction. Now, I am not the greatest of drivers. I am cautious but not always accurate. The idea of having to navigate through treacherous roads between a gaping hole in the earth and the kind police officer waving me on, did NOT incite me to see this mission any further, when suddenly this verse entered my heart:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity,

but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7

How could I receive such a clear message and not continue on — especially since I was CONVINCED this would all be for not, because Father was never, ever, ever at the Parish on Fridays. Ever.

I navigated through the maze of trucks, workers and police – all gratefully unscathed. I drove around the corner and into the parking lot, and there standing directly in front of me . . . IN THE PARKING LOT . . . was my pastor. The abridged end to this story (which was filled with many more God moments) was this — I knew exactly how to present the idea to him, that he felt confident the Spirit was guiding it, and gave me permission. The Purpose Driven Summer was in the works!  Little did I know God was only getting started with revealing his plan for me through His Word; ten years later I am now in full-time ministry and in the process of creating amazing Scripture-filled faith-sharing books for women!

When has the Word of God prompted you to act confidently or boldly? If you have not experienced this yet, where would you like the Spirit to move in such a way in your life?

Allison Gingras is founder of  Reconciled To You and host of A Seeking Heart on Breadbox Media weekdays at 10 a.m. ET. Allison blogs, writes and speaks about living an everyday life of faith. She created the “Words With” daily devotional app series, Words with Jesus, and offers presentations on forgiveness, trust, and lessons from the Blessed Mother. Find her on:

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