Twenty five years ago I met a handsome, fun, committed Christian guy. Three days later I decided I’d marry him. I only had one problem. He got on a plane back to El Salvador, his home country, leaving me behind in Texas.
How were my guy and I going get to know each other? Back in the days before cell phones, internet and WhatsApp, talking on the telephone was expensive.
One day the mailman brought me a treasure: a letter from Jose! Excited beyond words, I ripped open the envelope only to find that I couldn’t read his handwriting. Like a spy working feverishly to crack a code, I spent an hour deciphering the letter.
In the following months, more letters arrived in the mail. It took intense effort to decipher Jose’s handwriting, but that didn’t matter. Those letters were my treasure, a tangible representation of Jose. He was far away, but I could hold his letters close. I saved them and got them out to read again and again. As I read them, I got to know him better.
Like a precious letter, God’s Word is our treasure.
The Bible is His love letter to us, containing everything He wants us to know. We can’t physically see God. We believe in Him by faith, and we see His work in our lives, but we can’t see Him. We can, however, get to know Him through His Word. As we get it out and read it again and again, His love for us comes alive.
God’s Word imparts blessings that money can’t buy. That’s why Psalm 119 says:
God’s Word has Power to Fuel our Faith.
It provides a never-ending source of strength to sustain us when faith falters.
God’s Word speaks hope into our desperate moments and renews joy on our hard days.
Scripture is a powerful weapon that triumphs over doubt, depression, and defeat.
It’s an antidote to anxiety, and it wipes out worry when we trust what it says.
The Bible gives us God’s eternal perspective on our passing circumstances.
It’s a compass that gives us guidance and direction.
The Bible is an amazing treasure, available at our fingertips, but when life speeds up, we find it hard to make time to read it. When I received those letters from Jose, I never would have dreamed of setting them aside, unopened and unread. Yet how often do we let several days go by without even cracking the cover of God’s love letter to us?
Friends, God is burning a renewed passion in my heart for His Word and its transforming power. What better way to start a new year than with a renewed commitment to listening for God’s voice through the Bible? The deeper we get into scripture, the better equipped we’ll be to meet challenges and live out our calling effectively.
This January, I’m featuring a series: “God’s Word: Your Best Love Letter and Greatest Treasure.”
Look for the second post this Thursday. After that, I’ll post more tips and encouragement for digging deeper into scripture each Tuesday in January. I’m praying for you, dear reader, that God will write His words on your heart this year. For now, how about if we make a commitment to spending at least 10 minutes reading and praying over scripture each day. Will you join me?
Two of my friends are starting new Bible studies this January. It’s not too late to join one:
Suzie Eller has a vision for seeing women equipped by God’s Spirit and His Word to live free. Check out her 30 Days of Life-Shaking Study in the Word.
Jana Kennedy Spicer at Sweet to the Soul Ministries has a unique study plan that features one verse a day. Jana will show you how to do verse mapping.
To get each post in my series, “God’s Word: Your Best Love Letter and Greatest Treasure,” subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address in the box at the top of this page.
I’m linking up today with Holly Barrett’s Testimony Tuesday, Kelly Balarie’s #RaRaLinkup, and Jennifer Dukes Lee’s #TellHisStory, Holley Gerth’s Coffee for your Heart, and Holly Brown with #GraceandTruth. Check out their communities for more encouragement.
The first part of this post was re-edited from my archives.
I’ll be checking back, Betsy! : )
Thanks, Bethany! Look forward to having you.
Looking forward to this series!
Thanks, Michele.
Happy New Year friend! I love the outline for your series. Yes I will join you in reading God’s word because He has shown me over and over His love, grace and truths through His words. Thank you for the other resources. I will have to check out Jana’s verse mapping because I have tried it but not for quite awhile.
The story about your letter writing with your husband was so touching and of course one I could relate to because that was my era too. Love and hugs friend!
May God’s Word speak loudly to you this coming year, Mary! Praying for you now, friend.
Yes Betsy! God’s word is my most treasured love letter! I’m using the same studies this year along with a study we are teaching called “Unearthing Treasure”! Psalm 119 goes perfectly! Look forward to more of all that God will reveal through His love letter to our hearts!
May God reveal Himself in new ways to you, Jodie, as you seek Him in scripture. 🙂
Praise God for His ability to renew passions and transform us. I loved your thoughtful message, your story about your husband, and your encouragement to read God’s word. I read this line twice : “God’s Word speaks hope into our desperate moments and renews joy on our hard days.” Amen! Thanks for writing, friend. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you too, Karen. I’d missed you! May He speak hope and renew joy for you each day (during the hard days and good days both!)
Love it, Betsy! That story – oh man. At first I thought you meant he was writing in his native tongue and you had to translate LOL! Interesting after 3 days you knew – it took me two weeks. (LOL.)
I had to decipher Jim’s handwriting too – sometimes I long for the days of snail mail again. Simpler times.
Wonderful post – you are so good at always pointing us back to the Word! Blessings on your new endeavor – I know the Lord will use you!
Ruthie, I’ve been married to that man TWENTY YEARS now, and I still can’t read that man’s chicken scratch! So it took you two weeks? Why so long? LOL. 🙂 Thanks for your encouragement.
Oh Betsy … I remember those days when a visit to the mailbox was the highlight of the day.
May my visits with God have that same crazy-in-love impact on my soul in this season. Loved this post, friend. Needed it, too …
Amen! May that Love Letter make its way deep into our hearts.
What a great series, Betsy. And you’re so right – we often place priority on other “dailys” before we pursue the treasure of God’s word. I’ve been ever so thankful for have taken the time to sink into His word, because over the past month when I had days that reading was hard, His word was in my heart. Happy New Year, sweet friend. Looking forward to reading more of your encouragement in the weeks ahead. xo
Oh, I can’t imagine being in that spot where even reading is hard. I’ve only had that a few days at a time. Never a MONTH. Grace to you, friend.
So whatever happened with Jose??? 🙂 We sponsor a child in El Salvador also named Jose. I look forward to when he can write his own letters to us instead of the translator doing it. Even though I won’t be able to read his writing, I’d like to see it anyway.
Ha! Lisa, you’re making me smile, friend! He never did learn better handwriting. But we did marry. FOUR YEARS later. Another story. 🙂 Thanks so much for sponsoring a child from El Salvador. I lived there 5 years and love it.
Looking forward to this series! Love the analogy of how the Bible is like the letter you couldn’t read at first. The Bible can seem so intimidating and unreadable at first – but what treasures it holds once you learn to decode its handwriting!
Thank you, Kathryn. Let’s dive in for those treasures!
Betsy,
You’re right…who would leave a love letter unopened? Yet, that’s what I often do with God’s word to me. Looking forward to your series and what insight and tips you will share!! Joining with you in opening His Word daily…
Blessings,
Bev
Thank you, Bev. May God show more of Himself to you through scripture this year. 🙂
I love this, Betsy! I’m so excited that we are all sharing the same passion for diving deeper into God’s Word this year. Awesome! Can’t wait to read more of your series, sweet friend:)
Thanks, Kristine. I think you’re right. God is calling us deeper into His Word. No doubt about it. Can’t wait either to see what He does in us.
Betsy, I remember reading this story before and again I smile picturing you trying to decipher those letters! What a wonderful idea for a series. Yes, God’s Word is a love letter to us and the most precious writing we could ever devote our time to. I can’t wait to see where you take us on this journey.
I still struggle to decipher Jose’s handwriting after 20 years, Abby! Good think God’s Word is a lot more clear!!! 🙂
Beautiful post, Betsy. Good words here… “Yet how often do we let several days go by without even cracking the cover of God’s love letter to us?” Love it! Blessings to you, my friend.
Thank you, Julie.
Love you, dear friend. You always challenge me and encourage me.
I love this so much! Thanks for the encouragement. I’ll be sharing it! Blessings. 🙂
Thank you, Stefani. Blessings to you too!
So so true the Lord’s word is the greatest treasure we can ever have. Thank you Lord! i loved your post so much! So many good nuggets of gold I read here today!!! I will be sharing on Facebook + Pinterest!
Thanks so much, friend. May God pour out His grace each time you open His Word!
What a lovely way to start off the year by renewing our commitment to the Word! I love how you tied this into your days of young love. Isn’t that how we should be with God too? Giddy and in love? I thought that was so cute. Thanks for sharing and calling us higher, Betsy! Marva @ sunSPARKLEshine
Right? I think there’s no better way to start a new year than with our Swords of Faith sharpened and ready to go!