(Guest posting this week is my sweet friend Kristi Woods – Writer, Speaker, Jesus girl!)
I stared at my Bible. So many pages–where to start? I needed help with a life issue but hadn’t a clue how to find a helpful answer.
This scenario happened several times during my early Christian years. As I struggled with worry, or fear, or other issues, I knew God held the answer, but finding helpful verses at the time of need proved difficult. But that’s changed.
With the help of a few resources and a focus on specific words, I understood how to apply the Bible to daily life.
How Bible Concordances Help Us
My Bible contained a concordance. Yours might, too. This tool is an alphabetical record of words found in the Bible and the corresponding scriptures for each one. I turned often to that handy tool and scoured it for the topic I faced.
Fear? It’s in the concordance. Worry? It is too! Doubt’s in there as well as anxiety, jealousy, fear, and many other subjects. That was my start with wonderful word studies.
That was a few years ago, but the Lord continues to feed me truth through this type of study. For instance, when the Holy Spirit filtered the word “believe” into my life in late 2018, I wasn’t sure what to do. I called myself a Christian. Didn’t I already believe? Wasn’t the topic either black or white? Why was God calling me to look at the word again?
You either believe…or you don’t. Right?
Yes. And no.
Its definition made sense on the surface, but deep within, God assured there was more.
First, I prayed. Then, I stared at the word a good while longer. (A lot of good that will do!) Eventually, I wrestled with “believe” in a study. And there, God began to take me deeper.
As I chewed on and savored those Bible verses, understanding gripped me. A bit of surprise, too.
My belief sat shallow, leaving room for deepening. Other times it lived and breathed conditionally–trusting God “this far” but no further, during good times but not the bad.
To what extent did I truly believe God and His promises?
What I thought was black and white suddenly took on shades of grey.
Call me His “work in progress.” He’s not finished yet, but the savoring, questioning, and deep pondering proved to be a solid stepping stone–one you might find benefit in, too. As a result, time with this one simple word deepened my belief in God and His promises.
Would you like to experience a deeper belief as well? With God, it’s possible.
His nudge not only helped me reexamine what and how I believed, but it also birthed two Bible studies.
Created to Believe: A Bible Word Study
On September 24, Created to Believe: A Bible Word Study launched. This 33-page downloadable Bible study ushers users into God’s Word, investigating how His promises intersect with their belief. Grab a friend and complete the study together or go it alone. But one suggestion: go slow. Take your time and savor the truth God desires to plant within you.
Believe Bible Study
Believe is a free video study. Several of my readers and I gathered on video conference call to discuss each week’s video content when it was first released. Even though the Zoom calls are over, you can still watch the videos alone or gather your own group of friends and study them. The user guide remains available for free in the Subscriber Library, too. Sign up and you’ll receive the password.
One last thought for today. It comes from Mark 9:23 in the English Standard Version and pertains to a conversation between a father whose son was in dire need of healing and Jesus. “‘And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.’”
All things are possible for him who believes. With that in mind, it’s a good day to ask What do I believe? Then, dig into God’s Word to find the answer.
Kristi Woods is a writer and speaker but mostly a Jesus girl. She writes weekly and offers faith-building tools for a deeper walk with God at www.KristiWoods.net. She is published in various print and online publications, but is especially excited about her new Bible word study: Created to Believe. Kristi, her handsome, retired-from-the-Navy husband, and their three children survived a nomadic, military lifestyle and have set roots in Oklahoma–where she keeps close watch for tornadoes and good chocolate. Connect with Kristi at KristiWoods.net.
