Woven
“The Word of God should be woven like a thread throughout our lives- surrounding us, weighing on us, warming us, comforting us, teaching us, molding us, recreating us over and over.”
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”
(Colossians 3:16 ESV)
I love blankets. We have at least four of them draped across our sectional at all times. During the winter (and really all year), one of my favorite things about coming home at the end of the day is curling up under my blanket, or “Mama’s blanket,” as my kids call it. The weight of it, the warmth, the comfort- it is woven bliss. Hand-woven blankets are particularly stunning. I may be the least artistic person you’ll ever meet, but I can recognize the time and skill involved in creating these masterpieces. My precious stepmom made baby blankets for both of my children. The attention to detail, the intricately and strategically placed yarn in order to create a pattern of beauty, and most importantly, the love in the hands of the one who did the weaving make them treasures.
I also love the fact that God gave us His Word in tangible, written form. But if I am honest, I went several years neglecting it. When I first became a believer, I poured myself into scripture, soaking up every truth I could out of awe and wonder. It was all brand new and fascinating to me, but somewhere along the way, I lost passion for His Word. It felt stale. I lost the desire to meet with Him among the pages of my bible. I somehow lost sight of what a privilege it is to even hold in my hands.
And I am sure this has happened to a lot of you as well.
The inspiration behind this blog is born from my own returning to a love for God’s Word. I hope to explore how to weave God’s Word into every facet of our lives- to breathe it in and apply it in all things, big and small. So often we make reading God’s Word harder than it needs to be. We believe the lie that it is too hard to understand or that it isn’t relatable. But if I know one thing to be true, Jesus, God Himself, can relate to you on a deeper level than anyone else in all of creation. And He is the Living Word, God’s spoken proclamation and fulfilled prophecy in the flesh.
The Word of God should be woven like a thread throughout our lives- surrounding us, weighing on us, warming us, comforting us, teaching us, molding us, recreating us over and over. Too often, we isolate God’s Word to specific times of bible study or church attendance, but the Lord gave us this precious gift for so much more. It is our daily bread, our sustenance on Earth until we are with Him in eternity. After the Israelites wander in the wilderness for forty years, surviving off manna the Lord provided for them, Moses later reminds them that “man does not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3 CSB). Jesus even combats Satan’s temptations in the desert with this exact verse. The Word incarnate knew that the Word of the Father nullified all of Satan’s lies. The same words spoken by our Savior are our best defense against the lies of Satan as well.
I went through a period of living off other things in place of God’s Word. My heart aches when I think about it- trying to spiritually survive with no nourishment. Many of these things weren’t sinful; in fact, they were Godly- church, ministry, etc. If we aren’t careful, those good things can take the place of our daily bread. Church and small groups are wonderful, and I am incredibly thankful for mine, but they can’t be a substitute for digging into our own bibles. And in the end, I was left spiritually starving.
God’s Word is described as “living and active…discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV). God’s Word does not become stale; instead, my own heart becomes stale and apathetic. His Word is alive, always relevant, and always applicable! And when we commit to weaving it deep into our hearts, we will walk out the abundant life promised to us in the Gospel (John 10:10). It isn’t a project that we will eventually complete; thankfully, this is a process that the Lord will take us through for the rest of our lives.
Just like a beautifully woven blanket, God is creating a tapestry out of your life with His loving hands. Each and every circumstance we face is an opportunity for us to allow Him to carefully and tenderly thread His Word into our hearts. Into your joy, your pain, your confusion, your sorrow. Into every season full of blessings and every season full of doubt.
It is my prayer that this blog encourages you to let His word “dwell in you richly.” May you let it make a home within you. May you let it overflow onto everything you say and do. May His Word always be our definitive answer, our greatest joy. May you find yourself wrapping it around you, drawing all of your security from it. And maybe if you are anything like me, you will fall in love with God’s Word all over again.