God’s Word Versus Emotions

Fall in love with God’s Word and watch His truth anchor your heart.

by Laura Sandretti

I had a pit in my stomach yesterday.

The details of my dilemma are too raw and personal to share, but most of us have been there—a health scare, a hurting child, an ongoing marital issue, or worse. We continue smiling, working, and going through the motions, but there is a pervasive something in our soul that feels…

Heavy, unsettled, and afraid.

I am mentoring a young woman right now who loves the Lord. She has experienced Him powerfully through worship, sermons, and prayer. She admitted, though, that when it comes to God’s Word, she struggles to read it. Like me at times, she finds it confusing, irrelevant, and dry. Unlike me, she is young. She has not suffered miscarriages, watched her child wheeled into surgery, or been diagnosed with an illness. She has not had as many opportunities to feel heavy, unsettled, and afraid.

As I have traversed the ups and downs of life, I have been indebted to older, wiser women who have encouraged me to continue reading God’s Word even when it seemed hard to read or irrelevant to my life and problems. I am thankful for mentors who have been in the pit, women who know that when the rug gets pulled out from under us, the Bible provides hope, peace, and the ability to breathe. I am grateful for seasoned sisters in Christ who have taught me the power that Scripture has over raw, loud, painful emotions when we persist in, pray through, and practice reading God’s Word. Women urging me to read when I do not feel like it or feel that it will help.

Therein lies the rub.

Feelings are powerful. Emotions can trump reason, logic, and reality. Although God gave us emotions, and they are necessary and helpful at times, they can also distort and even dismantle our faith and hope in Christ. They can overrun our hearts, our minds, and our souls. I agree with the young woman I am mentoring—solid biblical teaching, worship, and prayer are powerful and inspiring. However, if the songs we sing and the sermons we hear are not confirmed, solidified, and strengthened by our individual time spent in the unchanging Word of God, they are incomplete.

Why?

As I was recently reminded yesterday during my sadness and distress, God’s Word is living and active. It superseded my emotions by somehow speaking directly to them. The Bible provided the personal, pertinent, and poignant Spirit-inspired awareness and answers I needed. His Word meets, reminds, and calms us supernaturally, specifically, and sweetly.

Never give up prayerfully and persistently reading God’s love letter, dear sister. I need to remind, convince, and re-convince myself of God’s truths every day because my emotions are often real, raw, and raucous. If you struggle with the desire to read your Bible, ask God to help you fall in love with His Word. While you pray and wait, continue reading. Spend time in a book of the Bible you once loved, is familiar, or perhaps you find challenging. The stakes are too high to stop reading the Lord’s powerful Word which sustains all things (Heb. 1:3). I know one day…

Your heart, head, and soul will thank you.

Tips for Better Bible Reading

1.Read Repeatedly.A friend told me she wasn’t reading her Bible because, “it’s too hard to understand.” I suggested she re-read a book of the Bible she had enjoyed or understood in the past. She said she loved Philippians, so she started there. Because she was in a different place in her life, with different issues and relationships, Paul’s small letter illuminated new insights and glimpses of God’s love into my friend’s life. Slowly and prayerfully, re-reading familiar books—like the Gospels, Psalms, and Proverbs—have been some of my sweetest times with the Lord.

2. Pick Up Your Phone.Although I often tell myself and my children to put down our phones, my Bible app is the one exception. Sometimes when I’m in a hurry, I’ll listen to my Bible app while I’m driving or straightening my hair. Although un-interrupted time reading my physical Bible is always my goal, I’m grateful for creative ways to read Scripture when I’m on the go.

3. Make it a Habit. I have discovered that when I read my Bible before work, I read more consistently. If I miss that time, God’s Word usually gets lost in the shuffle. Whether you’re an early bird or night owl, prioritize reading your Bible at the same time every day, so it becomes more habitual. Remember that consistency helps us hide God’s Word in our heart for a time when we need it most.

4. Resort to Resources.If you’re new to the Bible, books like Know Your Bible (Barbour Publishing) and 30 Days to Understanding the Bible (Max Anders), are helpful resources. You can also find countless commentaries and resources online but remember that reading about the Bible can never replace reading the Bible. When I’m confused or struggling with something in Scripture, I pray for a while before consulting outside resources. I want to hear from the Spirit before humans whenever possible.

5. Read Your Bible…Better.When I started reading

the Bible—expressly to learn more about God, His love, and His character—it changed everything. The Bible is about God, not us. When we learn more about Him and His incomprehensible love for us, we are left with a sense of profound gratitude that draws us closer to the Bible and its Author, more and more. 6. Oust Outcomes.Often when I read the Bible, I’ve noticed a subtle underlying pressure inside myself. It’s a subconscious fear that I’ll miss something important, or that I’ll have to re-read a passage to unearth that important something. “Ousting outcomes” means reading the Bible simply to look for God and His love instead of searching for a silver bullet or great epiphany.

When we learn more about God and His incomprehensible love for us, we are left with a sense of profound gratitude that organically transforms us and draws us closer to the Bible and its Author, more and more.

Why I Love the Yearly Bible Reading Plan!

Why did I start the Bible Recap reading plan? It was simple. I wanted to experience God more by reading His Word, and I wanted my knowledge of the One who created me, along with the entire universe, to grow. I also wanted to deepen my love and trust for God. However, I needed a plan that I could stick with and was easy to use.

The Bible Recap is a daily reading plan along with a short daily podcast hosted by Tara-Leigh Cobble. She highlights and summarizes the daily chronological Bible reading in a casual, easy-to-understand way.

What do I love about this chronological plan? You not only learn more about who God is, but the podcast explains difficult passages in Scripture. And I love reading chronologically, because it shows God’s love and plan for His people—from the Old Testament through the New Testament—in an understandable way. Start any time by going to: http://www.thebiblerecap.com/start. (Available in Spanish and American Sign Language videos.)

— Shannon Nykamp

Edgerton, Minnesota

Laura Sandretti is a speaker, author, and blogger, and has a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical School. Additionally, she has authored two books: Imperfectly Perfect: A Devotional for the Transformed Everyday Sinner and Walking by the Homeless (available on Amazon). Laura and her husband have three children and live in Sussex, Wis. Visit her blog, Everyday Sinner, at laurasandretti.com.