January 25, 2024
I was in high school when I first began to truly fall in love with God’s word and not just His spirit. I can remember the immense joy I would feel when I read about His promises. I had grown up knowing His love, discovering His spirit, and talking to Him like he was my best friend. But reading His word made it come to life. It was profound to see that the concepts I had been taught came from incredible stories and seeing them in print made me elated to believe them even more. I clung to verses like little snippets of hope and reasons to trust. It gave a different sort of depth to my faith. One that I didn’t know would be important later.
Fast forward, a decade, or two, to a time when life was more challenging. My name Kelly means “warrior maid” and motherhood was calling me to that. I needed Him. I needed His spirit. But I needed even more, to see His truth and promises. It had been nearly 20 years since I read through the Bible from front to back. The last time, I was in college and Andy and I were dating seriously, maybe even engaged by then. We decided to do the Disciple Bible Study with a group of adults that became our dear friends. Life had whirled by, and I while I knew God was very real, loving us all along, I needed facts to be grounded on because there were too many other unknowns and choices in the rest of my life. I needed His steadfast love.
One night, at 1 am and feeling alone, I shut my computer full of opened tabs of medical choices, I opened Pinterest on my phone and typed, “verses on anxiety,” “verses on strength,” “verses on comfort” etc. I started to take screen shots of these verses, that had been made into art, so I could simply read His truths that pertained to what I needed. Like a child that knows their parents are there, and knows they will protect them, but needs them to come back into their room, give them a hug and hear them say how much they love them and that it will be ok, I needed His words to remind me too. Friends, I truly encourage you to read though the Bible with us this year. At whatever capacity you can, dive in with us.
As a parent to four kids, (well, one that is now an official adult), I feel the overwhelming responsibility right now to make sure my children know His word. Because, at some point, when they are fumbling in the dark at 1am, in need of comfort, I want them to remember they aren’t alone. I want them to remember that His words were given to them to light the very next step. And that he can be trusted to walk with them, forever.
Kelly Judd, Family and Couple Ministries, The Grove
