When my son was young, my husband traveled weekly for work. I was frazzled and stressed and a single parent 5 days a week. It was exhausting! Honestly, the only way I kept the sweet voice and patience I needed for a small child, was with daily scripture study.
I found that on days I forgot to read, or slept in, I was more short-tempered. I felt more emotionally stretched, the days were longer, and problems loomed larger. With the Lord’s word in my heart, everything went more smoothly. I felt more together and balanced when dealing with the daily challenges tossed my way. And trials seemed smaller and easier to handle.
In preparation for this article, I resumed my old habits. I read the scriptures every day, and here are 5 key gifts I found were added to my life.
1- Peace
From the first words I read, I felt intense peace. I don’t know about you but I have noticed that the world greatly lacks peace lately. People are less connected, and stress is the order of the day. In fact, “I’m so busy” seems to be everyone’s mantra. And with being busy comes a frazzled and distinct lack of peace.
I am so grateful that the Lord blesses us with peace in His word. It makes me want to cling to the scriptures. And that peace is the predominant feeling that permeates LDS Temples and churches. I love knowing that no matter what is happening in the world, I can always find peace with the Lord.
2- Inspiration
When I am reading the scriptures I often have ideas. Sometimes those ideas are to reach out to someone. Other times it reminds me of something important I forgot. And in the best moments, those ideas help me solve problems I have been praying about.
I know those ideas don’t come from me. They are the result of the Lord’s inspiration and the Holy Spirit speaking to me. My Dad has often reminded me of the phrase “If you want to talk to God, pray. And if you want God to talk to you, read the scriptures.” The written words on the page get our minds into a place where the Spirit can send us direct messages to bless our lives and those around us.
3- Focus and clarity
Another great blessing of reading the scriptures daily is an improved focus on what really matters. I often get distracted, especially with social media.
I can go down a rabbit hole with YouTube shorts and lose whole chunks of time. And a seemingly quick check online to see how a friend is doing can lead to hours of mindless scrolling.
But when I pull my head out of that world, and direct my focus intentionally, the Lord blesses me. He reminds me of what matters. Spending time in the scriptures snaps me out of the death grip of the internet. My mind stops being mush.
And God brings me back to the real world and the people in my sphere of influence who are depending on me. And He blesses me with His love and reassurance that what the world is showing me doesn’t matter. He clears my vision so I can see without the fog. And I am so grateful.
4- God speaks to you
The scriptures are the literal words of God. The stories and parables shared in the scriptures teach us correct principles. In fact, when the Savior was on the Earth the things He taught were revolutionary. People had never heard of loving your enemies. It’s totally against what our natural selves would choose.
And let’s talk briefly about the commandments. How many people seem to have forgotten ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord Thy God in vain’? It’s spelled out people. But aside from the inspiration I often get as I read, the words of God are inspiring and uplifting. He wants us to succeed and be with Him again. And it is truly a wonderful gift to have His word that we can read daily.
5- Scriptures brought to mind
This brings me to the final point I want to make about daily scripture study. When I was in high school I went to early morning seminary. In the LDS church, this is common. Although the kids in Utah are blessed to have seminary during the school day, instead of getting up before dawn. As part of that study, I memorized a lot of scriptures.
And as I have gotten more familiar with God’s word there are times when a scripture will pop into my mind. It is often a reminder of something I need to do or an uplifting message to keep me on the right path. So the more you memorize scriptures and hymns the more the Lord can use those at critical times to guide you.
I love the scriptures. They are a gift and a guide. And if you don’t already try to spend time with them daily, I encourage you to experiment with the Word. Give it a few days and feel what a difference God’s word makes in your life. I need the clarity, direction, peace, and joy the scriptures bring.
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