Just Crack It! (Looking Back at Year 1)

Well my friends, we've hit a monumental week.  It has been over a year now since I began writing this blog!  Quite frankly, I am as shocked, if not more shocked, than you are by this...seeing as how I have never been one to stick with a morning quiet time for more an a week. 


I wanted to share with you, and with myself, how it all began (because, like you, I am just a regular human being who would often rather push snooze), and I'm hoping, more than anything, that you will realize that you can do this, too!  So here is what I wrote on Day #1, April 16, 2012:

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"For a few years now, I have been listening to James MacDonald's sermons on my iPod while I run.  Can I just tell you that this has absolutely changed my life?!  For a long time, I thought that in order to get the most out of the Bible I always had to read it myself; but let me attest that listening to James has made me a better Bible reader (and doing it while running allows me to work on my physical and spiritual health at the same time).  James has taught me how to break verses apart and look at them deeply.  He also has been one of a handful influences in my life who has shown me what it is to DELIGHT in the Word.

In a recent podcast, he challenged us to READ the Bible (novel concept, eh?).  But I realized that I had grown to the place where I now needed to not just be spoon-fed by James, but jump into the Bible myself and allow God to have an intimate relationship with me.  Such was James' challenge..."it's time that you got serious about reading the Bible before you do anything else in your day."  I knew this had to be true for me -- the fact is, I had tried to make time with God after work everyday, but how quickly I was distracted.  Doing it in the morning would take discipline, he said. Haven't I heard that before?  Yes.  But for some reason, that day, I was ready to take the jump.  Will it be "easy"?  Well, I sure wish it was, but I think that is part of the blessing of discipline.  It's not easy.  It hurts sometimes.  But it is ALWAYS worth the sacrifice.  So, I decided it was time to try the plan.  I was going to set my alarm just 30 minutes earlier, which, let me tell you, is a huge sacrifice for me.  This girl loves her sleep!

After 30 days of this, he said I would be DISCIPLINED.
After 30 more days, I would DESIRE to get up and be with God.
After 30 more days, getting up early to read the Word would become my DELIGHT.

Oh, how I want to DELIGHT in reading the word and doing what God wants me to do!

So, I have done it now for two days in a row.  The hard part hasn't really come yet; I know this.  But the first day (yesterday) was amazing!  My entire day was different because I had a different perspective, and I had gotten to drink my coffee with Jesus that morning.  How incredibly special and intimate it was!  That was the best coffee date I've ever had, and I make sure to have coffee with friends regularly.

So why the title, PSALM 1 WALK?  Well, I didn't know where else to start reading but in Psalm 1 (and I decided to read through Philippians, too).  And here is what I read first:

"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.  But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. They leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper. (And later in verse 6) For the LORD watches over the path of the godly."


This is my desire, Lord.  I desire to absolutely delight in doing everything you want because I know that your ways do not lead to destruction.  I want to be planted along Your riverbed, drawing up your Truth as I walk through this life and not the lies of the culture and of satan.  Help me to find my strength in you, so that I do not wither in this life, Lord.  I want to prosper in whatever plans You have for me to do.  Thank you for watching over me now and tomorrow.  I give You my life."

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Now back to today.  Much of this hasn't changed.  I still do desire to delight in His Word and to do what He wants me to do...that is the complete desire of my heart.  Also, more than anything, I am always aware that my days that start with Jesus are the better ones.  And, some days when the alarm goes off, it is still a little more of a discipline than a delight, at least until I can start reading, and then the delight oozes back into my soul.  So,  in order to get up at 5:00 every morning, I have had to move my bedtime up a bit, which means I can't stay up as late as I'd like, but it's really been worth it! 


There are only a couple things that have changed, one being the length of time I've done it now (more than two days), so I've gotten past the blissful, emotional part of starting something new to where I'm slowly heading down the road to making this a lifestyle.  Yes, please!  And, the other big thing is that though I try to do this most weekday mornings, I have not done it every weekday morning.  Normally, I would immediately feel like a failure for not having the inner drive to get up every single day, but that's part of the beauty in what I'm learning -- God's not keeping score.  Realizing this is what has made all the difference this time around.  Now, I do always regret when I don't get to spend time in the Word first thing in the morning, but I'm not taking an all-or-nothing approach anymore in this.  I really think that is where satan has derailed me in the past, and rather than walking away with my hands in the air when I miss a day, I just plan to give it a try the next morning, and I find that God is always waiting for me in the office, a smile on His face, and He whispers to me I'm glad you're back for more today.


And you can do this, too.  It will change your life, I promise.  And you absolutely don't have to get up at 5:00 a.m.!  Just start with 15 minutes (and maybe a cup of coffee): ask God to open your eyes to His Word, read a few verses, and allow His Spirit to speak into your life.  If you're like me, after a while, you just may find that 15 minutes is not enough time anymore. 


Yes, there is a sacrifice involved (your sleep) -- it's not a true sacrifice if it doesn't cost you something.  But I know that God will bless our time and our sacrifices when we are seeking to know Him more!  Satan, meanwhile, will do whatever he can to prevent you from knowing God more, so ignore your e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and the News for second.  Grab your Bible, and just crack it open, and let the learning and wisdom flow!  You NEED this!



It has been a joy to journey through The Word with you this past year!  I love to know what God is doing in your life as we study together.  I look forward to what the next year will bring us as we continue to "thrill in Scripture, to chew on it day and night" (The Message).