Carving out time to read the Bible, can be so daunting.

I am so good at defending to myself as to why I didn’t have enough time to read the Bible. I am my best attorney and best defense team, that I even believe myself. But at the end of the day, week, and month, I am the one that suffers most for my incredible defense. My defense cripples my time for connection with God. It hinders my ability to hear the Holy Spirit and his prompting.

I am the one that suffers most for my incredible defense.

See, when I get a thought in my head and I wonder if it is the Spirit talking to me, the only way I can weigh the difference between my own thoughts and the Spirit’s words is by testing it against what the Bible says. But how can I know the Holy Spirit’s voice, if I don’t know the voice of the Bible, this is where God has spoken to us and his words are alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). It really is through the words of the Bible that we begin to recognize God’s voice.

Little side story, so the other day, my son Olyver was playing a song for me that had several artists. As I’m driving down the highway I immediately recognize one of the artist’s voices. I tell Olyver, he sounds just like Blink 182! This artist is someone my son didn’t grow up with, but I did in my highschool years with my friends and a surge of memories that are tied to that artist and what I was doing in that time of my life stream back into my mind. Sure enough, Olyver tells me, Mom, that’s exactly who it is! I had thought that maybe he sounded like him, but it was him!

Recognizing his voice was undeniable to me, the way he sang and the way he hits the notes are unique to this specific artist.

See I often wake up and ask God, “What do you want me to do today? Help me please, Lord.” This prayer is my whisper for the morning and I go on about my day, the only time I repeat it is if something goes bad. I try to pray throughout the day. In a way, I go through seasons where my whole day is a silent prayer and at times I just touching base through short prayers here and there. God really knows my voice. He knows my woes and my concerns because he hears from me so much.

Lets switch back to the artist I recognized, I know his voice to a point too. I have heard his songs and even came to memorize some of the choruses. Apparently I can recognize his voice out of the hundred’s of artists that are out there. But it’s not the best relationship if you ask anyone, because he (blink 182) doesn’t recognize my voice. I have heard him talk/sing for endless hours, but he cannot say that about me. (Now please don’t think that I am implying that we have a relationship or that I even agree with his songs, just that I recognized him from my younger years).

So when I pray and talk to God or sing to him a song, He recognizes my voice! You know what, even if I never would have said a single prayer or whispered a single request or thank you, he would still recognize it, why? Because he made me, and actually knit me together me in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13)! The way God knows me, nobody else does.

even if I never would have said a single prayer or whispered a single request or thank you, he would still recognize it (my voice)

But for the sake of this point, God knows me because, boy, do I do some talking to him. At times it’s all complaining! But can I say the same thing about me knowing his voice? Can I tell it apart from all the voices and distractions that are fighting for my attention?

The only way for me to know it is if I’m reading the Bible. Here, God pours out his heart for humanity, for the people he created and designed this beautiful world for. The Bible, while written through many people, God was the original author for all of it because it was all God breathed.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

When we finally realize that He is the one behind all of the Bible, it all begins to make more sense and we are able to make connections all throughout. Everything connects, relates, and balances. And all of the sudden we see a thread that is used throughout all of scripture… Jesus. God places Jesus, in the beginning, middle and end of it all declaring his love for the world. His death and him raising from the dead to conquer our sins is how, when we believe in Jesus, we get to have this relationship with God forever.

See, God is unchanging, loving, full of justice, all powerful, always present and so many more! When we learn about this God who loves us, we are able to recognize him and his voice, because it is so unchanging.

God doesn’t play tricks with us or plays hard to get. He doesn’t hide from us, but instead gave us the Bible, so we could know him, recognize His voice and have a relationship with Him.

When I spend time reading the Bible, so many things happen, my heart gets healed, my anxiety subsides, because I witness in the text how he provided and cared for his children, and I learn that I can trust God too. And just like I would memorize the choruses of the songs in my teen years, I memorize the songs and words that God pours out about himself to me. Reading the Bible is God’s song to us about How he loves us, and didn’t want to be apart from us (John 3:16).

The wildest thing about getting to know God is that, by knowing him, all the “how-to’s” of my life don’t really matter anymore, because there is no formula to God… there is only love (and love covers a multitude of sins. 1 peter 4:8) and a relationship.

Recognizing God’s voice was undeniably unique, the way he sings and the way he hits the notes of my heart are unique to God… the artist of the universe.

He somehow mends to much of my heart, so that I can face life, knowing that the King of the Universe is there with me.

If you want to learn more about things I wish I knew before I read the Bible, check out my podcast: Episode 1.