We are in the process of updating the Equipped by Faith website, and getting all of our podcasts from our monthly speakers up for you to listen to! We recently posted the podcast from my dear friend and small group leader, Tara-Leigh Cobble. She shared with us about her heart for discipleship and studying the Word of God through her in-home discipleship groups called, D-Groups.
Tara started D-Groups with a desire to reach others with the love of God, and to inspire Christians to read and study His Word on a daily basis. She is an incredible Bible study leader and friend. Her love for God and His Word are unmatched, and she is constantly inspiring me (and everyone she meets) with her humility and with every word of wisdom that flows from her heart.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” Matthew 6:22-23
When you spend time with Tara, you can tell she spends time with God. Her words are His Words. As I listened to her confidently and passionately proclaim the importance of reading and studying scripture, I felt the need to encourage my readers about this topic today.
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on my faith—that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” Philippians 3:8-10
Studies show, even though 75% of Americans still identify themselves with the Christian religion, that only 9% of Americans have actually read the Bible from cover to cover. Tara encourages everyone she meets to make reading the Bible the greatest priority in their life. The Bible is an incredible gift from God to give us wisdom and insight for life, while showing us the loving character of our God.
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
As a working mother of two very busy children, I know just how difficult it can be to carve out time each day to pray and study the Bible. But I’ve had to be very intentional about keeping these times sacred because I know just how important they are. It’s not always easy, but I wake up before anyone else in my family to spend time reading the scripture because I know as soon as my kids wake up—it’s just not going to happen. And by the end of the day, I’m just too tired. Reading the Bible is just like working out. If we don’t exercise our spiritual muscles, they will not grow!
Tara has made a habit of not even letting her feet hit the floor before listening to her daily Bible passage. She uses the yearly Bible program from the Bible App to listen to what she will be reading for her devotion that day. That way, she gets the Word through listening, and by reading. We should be studying scripture like we study for a test or the way we learn about a new subject. Studying His Word should be intentional if we expect to get anything out of it!
I know reading the Bible can often seem like a chore or something we just want to check off our to-do list, and if you feel this way, I want to encourage you to ask God to give you a desire for His Word. When you really start to read the Bible, you will begin to see how it relates to your daily life and the wisdom that will save you from mistakes and heartache.
Reading the Bible is the key to knowing our God and understanding the plans He has for us. Plans to prosper us, not to harm us. Plans to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). I promise, whatever discouraging situation you may be dealing with right now, there is an answer for you in God’s Word, at the feet of Jesus. God wants to spend time with you. He wants to speak to you through His love letter written just for you.
I want to challenge you to discover this for yourself by getting into a D-Group, or by starting your own daily reading plan. I promise you will experience a huge change when you start applying the principles you read about to your daily life.
These Words are truth. They are life to our souls. And they are the pathway to understanding just how much God loves YOU.
XO-
Sabrina