{"id":895,"date":"2021-12-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lorihatcher.com\/?p=895"},"modified":"2022-01-04T11:23:33","modified_gmt":"2022-01-04T16:23:33","slug":"the-best-way-to-draw-near-to-god-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lorihatcher.com\/?p=895","title":{"rendered":"The Best Way to Draw Near to God this Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The headline read, \u201cTen Ways to Draw Closer to God this Year.\u201d As I looked down the long list, I sighed. I was a young mom overwhelmed with the responsibilities of caring for two young children, homeschooling, serving in church, and working outside the home part time. I didn\u2019t need ten more things to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why doesn\u2019t anyone write an article giving ONE way to draw close to God this year? <\/em>I wondered. I might actually be able to do that. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Twenty years later, this is that article. ONE WAY TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD THIS YEAR. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


And here\u2019s the one way: read your Bible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


If you\u2019re super busy and need to move on, you can stop reading now. You know what to do. If you\u2019d like to hear my story (and read several reasons why I believe this is the best way to draw closer to God), read on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019ve been a Christian for almost forty years. I\u2019ve done Bible studies, joined women\u2019s groups, attended retreats and conferences, and practiced all the spiritual disciplines, but only reading the Bible has revolutionized my life and drawn me closer to God. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


I\u2019m not saying Bible studies, women\u2019s retreats, and all the other things I just mentioned aren\u2019t helpful.<\/strong> They are, and I recommend them all. But nothing has transformed my life and drawn me closer to God than reading His Word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Fits and Starts <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


For years I treated the Bible like my favorite piece of jewelry. I\u2019d pick it up and put it down based on the occasion. During times of trial, I wore it close to my heart. During times of busyness or prosperity, I left it on the dresser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every December when our pastor or Sunday school teacher encouraged us to commit to read the Bible in the new year, I\u2019d sign on the pledge card and make a good start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Many years I sailed all the way through Genesis and Exodus only to shipwreck on the rocks of Leviticus. My relationship with and commitment to reading God\u2019s Word was as fickle as a toddler at a buffet. <\/strong>Some days I\u2019d feast, and other days I\u2019d snack. Some days (months), I\u2019d fast completely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


My spiritual life mirrored my commitment level. In some seasons, I grew and flourished. Other times I struggled, languished, and fainted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many times my motivation for reading was off base. I used it to bargain for God\u2019s favor. \u201cLord, I read my Bible every day this week. Haven\u2019t I earned a blessing?\u201d I used it as a lucky rabbit\u2019s foot. \u201cWell, nothing bad can happen to me today because I checked off the Bible Reading box on my Good Christian scorecard.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes I used it to prop up my weak self-esteem and sense of worth. \u201cI\u2019m super spiritual. I read my Bible every day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Then one day, I heard a Bible study leader tell her story. As a fairly new believer, she had joined the Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) staff as a college leader. One day a speaker challenged the Cru leaders to commit to read the Bible for five minutes a day. Just five minutes. Every day. \u201cSee if it doesn\u2019t change your life,\u201d he said. 
She and the other students took the challenge. Some days she\u2019d read more, but she never read less. She read her Bible every day for at least five minutes. The habit drew her closer to God and transformed her life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Twenty years later, she said, the group of college students, now middle-aged adults, held a reunion. Every person who had kept the commitment to read their Bibles for at least five minutes a day were still passionately walking with the Lord. Many were serving Him in full time ministry. 
When I heard her story, my heart stirred. <\/strong>I want the kind of faith that lasts, <\/em>I thought. I want to be like Jesus. I\u2019m tired of wobbling around like a toddler, spending more time picking myself up off the ground than moving forward. I want to know God.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


So I committed to read my Bible every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Much later, I discovered Psalm 19:7-13, which gives fourteen reasons to feast on God\u2019s Word:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

God\u2019s Word: <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n