Searching.
I spend a lot of time searching.
I search for things I have lost or misplaced.
I search for things because I can’t remember something.
I love to search for information and resources. I am the go to person for “Can you find…?” or “Do you know….?”
I can get lost in the search of anything – it doesn’t even have to be something I am interested it. If someone needs information or a resource, I love to search it out.
A little over a year ago, I was introduced to The Journey. It is a journey to develop personal habits that will grow intimacy in the personal relationship with God. Initially it was more of a task than anything to me. Having been a Christian about thirty-two years, much of the information felt basic and repetitive. One of the things you are encouraged to do daily is journal in a specific manner. I have used a journal in my personal devotion time for about seventeen years although not always daily. Trying to force myself to change the manner that I journal felt forced; regardless I stuck it out.
The nine month process of The Journey has come and gone, yet the lifestyle continues, now consistently. I went from “Let me do my Bible Study at the end of the day” to “Let me search for the Lord first thing in the morning.” I want to get up before anyone else is up or comes home to have my quiet time. I am not a morning person, but I don’t want interruptions. I want time to get lost in my searching. I went from “I know” head knowledge to “I really know” heart knowledge.
Writing out the scriptures in different versions than I learned brings fresh insight. When I started The Journey I could write out the scriptures I have memorized without thought. I wasn’t searching for new truths because I felt I “already knew.” Quoting a scripture is just words, applying it and walking it out takes trust. Changing the version, sometimes I have to look it up in the NKJV just to make sure it was the scripture I thought it was. It I amazing how the emphasis or change of one word can change how I think about something. Words once again jumped off the page, screaming to me “Search me, know that I am your God.” The Word is living. Scriptures started coming alive in my life.
Focusing on a particular topic helps me go deeper than I would have before. The Journey had specific scriptures to journal on each day and week. When the nine months wrapped up I asked the Lord to guide me to what He wanted me to study. I started with Who I am in Christ. It was a refreshing reminder. It also made me question – am I really walking in it? Then I moved on to “Be” and what God called me to be. Now I am in the promises of God. Despite “knowing” these things I realized I have not been walking in it.
The process of The Journey has led to a deeper trust in God. Searching out the truths of the Word and applying them personally to my life has given me a deeper understanding of how God has been there for me throughout my life. I can see the times where I might have felt abandoned, how God was really guiding me through to a deeper revelation of my utter dependence on Him.
I recommend The Journey whole heartedly now, regardless of how long someone has been walking with the Lord. I have met people from all denominations that have went through The Journey and testify to the change it created in them. Regardless of what your personal walk looks like, your walk can always go deeper. Searching God’s word for yourself brings fresh insight, knowledge and wisdom. It changes you from the inside out.
This blog is part of a #Write31Days series on trust. 31 Days is an online writing challenge, where bloggers pick one topic and write a post on that topic every day.
Restoring Voice 