Oh, mama! How do you know? How do you know what
to say?
My daughter's question. So sweet. So innocent. So real.
We've been talking for awhile now about speaking truth. About declaring truth. About hearing the voice of the Lord and speaking those things out to people.
And that's what I'd been doing.
You see, in the moments before bed, fear-filled thoughts had crept into my daughter's mind. And so, as she lay in bed, I prayed over her, declaring the truth to her and over her:
The Lord blesses you, Amanda. He keeps you. He makes His face to shine upon you. He is gracious to you. And He gives you His peace.
The Lord is a shield around you, Amanda! He is your glory and the lifter of your head!
The Lord goes before you, Amanda. He is all around you. And He is your rear guard...
So when she interrupted me to ask me how I knew what to say, I knew what she was asking, in her 9 year old, "I want to be able to do this too, but I don't know how" way: Mom, how do you know? How do you know what to say? How do the words come so easily to you?
And even as I think about it now, I get choked up.
My answer came so easily. So easily because it's true. So easily because it's real. So easily because I've been trained by the Lord through His Word:
Amanda, everything I just said - it's straight from the Bible. Each one is a promise from God to us in His Word...that's why we encourage you to read your Bible. Because the more you read it, the more it will get into your mind and into your heart. And it will come more and more easily to you, too, just like it does to me.
And as I finished praying with my daughter and putting her to bed, I couldn't help but be thankful. Thankful for the Scriptures I've read. Thankful for the Scriptures I've memorized. Thankful for the Word of the Lord, in written form, easily accessible, to you and to me.
And so I want to encourage us today. Whether you've been reading Scripture since you were a child or have never read a Scripture before today. God's Word is true. And it is powerful. It carries the very breath of God Himself.
So read it.
Read it.
A verse a day. A chapter a day. A little or lot. Just read it.
Read it. Listen to it. Speak it. Declare it.
Get it into your mind and into your heart.
And when you need to be reminded of God's promises, of His faithfulness, of His protection, of His provision - or when the person next to you needs to be reminded - you'll have a treasure chest full of truths!
Truths to rest in. Truths to rest on.
