Connected to the Source

God’s Word For Today is one of my favorite online daily devotionals. This one is convicting to me as I have felt lacking in this area lately. I felt God was speaking to me thru the use of the branches example. He has used this repeatedly to speak to me throughout my walk.

He wants us connected to Him…always. He will never stop reaching out to us. We just need to reach back and one way is daily reading of His Word. If you feel lacking in this area too will you commit with me to making it first priority in the day?

Connected to the Source
Read Psalms 1:1 through 2:12

All Christians face storms. If Christians are to be victorious, why is it that many come out of a storm broken? This brokenness shows up as bitterness, fear, or broken relationships. How can a Christian safeguard his or her life from destruction?

An ice storm wreaked havoc across Missouri in January 2007. The weight of the ice broke branches off trees that had survived storms for decades. Towns looked like war zones, with debris everywhere. Why was this ice storm so destructive? The summer before the storm yielded little rain, so the water tables dropped. The lack of water weakened the trees. They were not tapped into the source, making them unable to handle the weight of the ice.

Psalm 1 explains that the Source for a Christian is the Bible—“the law of the Lord” (Psalm 1:2). If a person spends time in the Word, he or she will be connected to the Source. Words of hope, protection, peace, and instruction strengthen the believer. This constant connection produces strong branches that grow fruit and healthy leaves. Instead of broken branches, the Christian will weather the storm and exit victorious.

Challenge for Today: Renew your commitment to read—and study—the Bible every day.
Quicklook: Psalm 1:1–6

Free Audiobook!

I love to read. I read as many books as my limited free time will allow. My recent addition to my avid reading has been audiobooks. I love that I can pop on my headphones and do my housework while listening to a good book. Don’t get me wrong I still love the smell and feel of a new book in my hands. Let’s face it though life is busy and audiobooks allow me time to fit in all those good reads I’d otherwise miss. :)

I like to buy my audiobooks from iTunes or Audible.com and download them to my iTouch. I can take them anywhere I want to go. As I mentioned above I’ll listen while I do housework or I’ll listen while I walk on the treadmill. With a neat little cable I can hook up my iTouch to my car stereo and now listen on the road. Love it! The versatility is so much fun.

So I wanted to share that I found a FREE audiobook on iTunes today. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I’ve heard this is a good book and I’m looking forward to “reading” it. So if you’re looking for a little summer reading head on over to iTunes today.