365 Girls After God - Day 4: Wisdom

Reading: Proverbs 1:1-7

Proverbs kicks off laying out its purpose- to get wisdom! It stresses how important wisdom is to live disciplined and successful lives. "The fear of the Lord, (or reverence to the Lord) is the foundation of true knowledge..." (Verse 7a). We need Godly wisdom to get through the challenges of life, as well as to know how to handle the blessings of life. God stresses wisdom over and over again throughout His Word. This should be a reason to really seek to get wisdom from God.


Reading: Matthew 4:1-22

There is something comforting about reading how Jesus was tempted in the same ways we are. Jesus definitely sets an example here in how we are to handle temptation. Each time Satan tempts Jesus, we see how smoothly Jesus pulls out scripture and applies it to the situation. This is all because of the wisdom and knowledge Jesus has acquired from studying the scriptures. This is just one reason it is so important to get wisdom from God.
Shortly after Jesus is tempted, we read about Him finding out that John the Baptist is in prison for preaching. As you read on, however, you can see that this doesn't discourage Jesus at all, as He goes out to get His ministry started. With wisdom, we can gain much encouragement too. Simply knowing more helps to make us confident. When we know more about the blessings God grants us, or the promises He gives us, or the past work He has done, we tend to be more confident in answering to our oppressors. Just another reason to get wisdom.


Reading: Genesis 7:1-9:17

Get wisdom to be safe in Christ. Noah was a wise and faithful man. Because of his faith, God called on him to build the ark and continue on the world. We learn how to apply our faith when we have the wisdom to read what God wants from us. When we get a phone call from a friend, we usually know right away it is them just by hearing their voice on the other end. Why? Because we've taken enough time to know them and build a relationship with them! The same concept goes for hearing God's voice. When we actually take the time to pray and listen for God's direction in our lives, His voice could be more easily heard and more affirming if we know God well enough to know it is Him speaking to us.


A challenge: Get into God's Word! Get to know Him, so you can take part in His plans and blessings He has for you. Be in constant communication with Him. Learn His voice. Pin It

365 Girls After God- Day 3: Walk this Way

Reading: Psalm 3:1-8

What an empowering passage! When you feel as if you can't do something mighty in Christ's name, just pull out Psalm 3. We walk with a God Who can cause great destruction in order to protect us, yet is small and intimate enough to meet even our smallest worries. We should never fear reaching out in His name, because He has our backs. He is the only one Who can grant you full peace of mind from the battles and worries in our world.


Reading: Matthew 2:19-3:17

Here we see how Jesus was made equal with human kind. Though Jesus didn't need to be baptized and cleansed of sin, He still was baptized by the man who came to prepare the way for His coming - John the Baptist. Jesus came and chose to live among men, just so He could complete the work His Father set out for Him. Baptism holds many symbols to it. There is peace of mind when we are cleansed. It is a symbol of becoming a part of a new family under the kingdom of God. When we choose to follow in the footsteps of God's way, we are walking a confidence with Him, that grants us so much more than we can ever realize. Keep on His path.


Reading: Genesis 4:17-6:22

When man walks in the way of the Lord, He finds favor in them. We read here how the human race took a quick descent into sin after God had intended for man to be in His likeness. We read that when we do evil, this breaks God's heart. However, when God was planning on wiping out the human race, He remembers Noah, who walked in the ways of the Lord and stayed away from the evil ways of the world. This not only saved Noah and His family, but allowed Noah to be in tune with the great plans God had for him in building the ark and rebuilding the earth. With faith like Noah's, we too can engage in God's huge plans for us and our world around us. Just keep walking in Him, and He will show you what to do. 


A challenge for us is to walk in the ways of the Lord. This should be our daily goal. We see from the passages above that choosing His path will grant us so much. He will empower us, give us peace, take us as His own, and allow us to in His plan when we have faith in Him. These things are only the tip of the iceberg when we walk in the ways of God. Pin It

365 Girls After God - Day 2: Seeking

Reading: Psalm 2:1-12

Simply put in this Psalm is that God can pour out such torrential wrath, but He can give you unspeakable joy if you seek His will and refuge. Honestly, the choice is yours. When we choose to push God out of our lives, as individuals, families, nations, why would we expect to ever see Him show up when we suddenly need Him? Sound like a certain friend or family member in your life? However, when we seek refuge in Him, and strive to do His will, He places joy within us. Even the hard times in our lives feel more supported, because we've learned to fully rely on God in thick and thin. When you have a great life (or week in reality), you might have a boyfriend or girlfriend (for the guys reading this), you may be getting along with your parents really well, you probably are doing good in school. Those are the times you probably feel closest to God. But as soon as a storm hits, is God still there? Of course He is, but you probably don't feel like He is. When you can prove you trust Him no matter your circumstance, that is a true maturity that lasts in Christ.


Reading: Matthew 2:1-18

The wise men ask where they can find the newborn King. I believe this is a question we need to ask ourselves daily, not only in times of needing God. When we seek Jesus in such a way that the Magi did, we will find ourselves overflowing with joy, like they did when they saw the star for the first time. Do you rejoice when you see Christ in your life? We need to choose to worship and seek God daily, especially in today's world and society. There are so many things that can win our attention over God in the media and among our peers. From drugs, to sex, to the newest, coolest gadgets. Don't allow those things to take rule over your life. When all you care about is the next drug you can take, the next questionable party you can attend, or the next person you can hook up with, that is not the kind of life that will satisfy. It will keep you scouring for more. Let God's love and daily seeking Him out be an experience that changes you daily. 















Reading: Genesis 2:18-4:16

This section is chocked full of seeking. We see a very different kind of seeking here though. We see Adam and Eve seeking more satisfaction. They aren't completely satisfied with what God has given them, so they fall for Satan's trap and stumble into the temptation of eating from the forbidden tree. This causes the greatest division between man and God. Sounds familiar in our lives, huh?
However, shortly after this incident, we read the God was walking through the garden, seeking Adam and Eve. This shows that even when we screw up and run from God, He still will seek us out. Sure, there are always consequences to our screw-ups, but God is always holding us and teaching us through these times. The important thing is that you run back to Him and realize the changes you need to make.
Later, we read about a similar seeking of satisfaction from Cain, who gets so jealous of his brother, he kills him. Talk about a messed up family! But as we continue on with the Old Testament and into the New, we'll see just how important and vital Adam and Eve are to the big picture of God's plan, just as you are important in God's plan.


Keep seeking God, in good times and bad. Don't rely on the media and pleasures of this world to give you the ultimate satisfaction of highs, fame, fortune, wealth, sex, drugs, etc. The harder you chase those things, the harder you're going to fall. But the harder you chase God, the more rewarding the end prize will be both here on earth and later in eternity! Pin It

365: Girls After God - Day 1: Beginnings

Reading: Psalm 1:1-6

There is an unmeasurable amount of joy that comes to those who do not follow the ways and advice of the wicked. Following God's Word is what will bring you joy and understanding. At an age where life seems to be going no where, and bring you no one to spend your life with, it is important to remember that God has the reigns, and when you let Him know that, and when you let yourself know that, He will do AMAZING things in your life. Beginning this reading plan as a gal going after God will help you to establish your foundations in Him, so you can establish the foundations you want for a lifetime.
The world will tell you what to do about finding a spouse. God will tell you different. This Psalm is very clear on what happens when we follow the ways of the wicked. Standing on His Word and meditating on it day and night will guide your paths, whether it is making decisions on school, careers, or who to date. The choice is yours, and it begins now. The beginning of the rest of your life is today.


Reading: Matthew 1:1-25

Here we read about the beginning of Jesus. If you really look at His lineage, you'll see that it was made up of some great and famous people throughout the Old Testament. But you will also see that many of the people in Jesus' lineage screwed up - big time! This just goes to show that God will take our mess ups and turn them into a message. He used each one of these people to bring about Christ and the story leading up to Him. This is a new day! From this day on, you are a new person. Everyday is a new decision. What you decide now will carry on down your family line, like the people in Jesus' lineage.


Reading: Genesis 1:1 -2:17

The beginning of the world and man. God created man and woman in HIS image. We are created with such value that God chose to create us in His image! Do you realize what kind of value that places on us? God said everything He created was good, but for man, He said it was VERY good. Everything around us is a reflection of God and His goodness. It is important to be reminded of Him when we see nature's beauty. God doesn't make junk, and He made you. Never look down on yourself and value you for who YOU are.


So as we begin in a year of daily Bible reading, I can't help but think about this theme of "beginnings" today. Every day is a new day. If we miss a day of reading, we can start new the next day. Just stick to it, and keep at it. You'll learn from the Word no matter when you read it. The most important thing is that you keep in it and build that solid foundation you will need for the rest of your life. Make this life great, but strive for the best life in eternity.  Pin It