The Pocket Sword

Posted on April 15, 2023 by michelleelaineburton

I wake up every day in a battle. More often than I would like to admit, anxiety rises in my heart before I even rise from my bed. For years, this morning battle has been the first domino down in a day that spirals out of control. But recently I’ve realized what’s been missing, and I’ve begun to have victory in my life. The problem? I’ve been going into battle with no weapon.

I don’t do my devotions in the morning. I likely never will. I’m so far from being a morning person that morning is the least profitable time for me to study God’s Word. This is not about having morning devotions. I will always advocate for studying the Bible at your very best time of the day, and I acknowledge that for many people that is not the morning. But as soldiers entering into spiritual warfare every single day, taking up the Sword of the Spirit is not an option.

Ephesians 6:17

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

When Jesus fought the temptation of Satan in the wilderness, He modeled for us how we are to use the Word of God as a weapon in our own spiritual warfare.

Matthew 4:4

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Jesus used a specific verse to fight the specific temptation He was faced with. That’s why we’re supposed to memorize Scripture, right? But sometimes it’s helpful to have a more tangible reminder of the Scripture we want to use to combat sin. So Scripture flashcards? That may be helpful for some, but personally, loose papers drive me crazy, and I won’t keep flashcards around for long. So what’s the solution?

Enter, The Pocket Sword.

My husband first came up with the idea of carrying a New Testament marked in a way that would be functional for combatting temptation in our lives. I thought the idea was brilliant, and I made a few tweaks to make it easy to use for myself. This concept has been so revolutionary in both of our lives that I want to share with you how you can set up your own Pocket Sword and have victory in the spiritual battles in your own life.

IDENTIFY SINS, STRUGGLES, AND SYMPTOMS

The hardest part of learning to use God’s Word effectively as a weapon in spiritual warfare is identifying the specific sins and struggles we need to be fighting against. I have found in this process that some of the sins and struggles in my life have become so internalized I hardly recognize them for what they are. If you feel the same way, it may take some digging to discover your own sins and struggles, but God will honor your desire to root out the sin in your life and live a life that is honoring to Him.

Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Symptoms

It may be helpful to start by identifying the symptoms of our besetting sin rather than the sin itself. These are the feelings that come to the surface that indicate something is not right on a deeper level. Two feelings that I have identified as frequent symptoms of sin in my life are anger and anxiety.

Anger is often seen as a sin, but I disagree with this. Anger is simply a feeling. If acted on, it can certainly become sinful. It can also be an indicator of a sin struggle deeper down. Why do I feel angry? Is it a result of selfishness? Pride? Something else? Allow God to reveal to you what your anger may be a symptom of.

Anxiety is rarely seen as a sin, but is rather seen as a struggle. I fully believe anxiety can have some physical causes. I am not here to tell you that the root cause of your anxiety is sin. But when I am truly honest about what is at the root of my anxiety, it is usually worry or discontentment.

What about feelings of depression? Where do they have their root? Again, I’m not saying there can’t be physical causes for depression. If you need further help with depression, please seek out a professional. But we would do well to first take time to do some self-reflection and be honest about where we believe our feelings of depression may be coming from. Perhaps feelings of depression could have their root in guilt or shame. I would also say that guilt and shame should not be classified as sin either. I would call guilt and shame struggles.

Struggles

There are issues in our hearts that need to be fought against with the Word of God that are not sins at all, but rather struggles. Guilt, shame, insecurity, and many other issues are not sinful, but are an indication that we have believed a lie about God or about ourselves. Only the truth of God’s Word can give us victory over the power of these lies.

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Sins

As we seek to identify sin in our lives, it may be helpful to use the Sunday school definition of sin: Anything we think, say, or do that displeases God. Maybe you’re already aware of the sins in your life; maybe you need to do some more self-reflection in the presence of God to pinpoint what these are. The three sins I’ve identified as the biggest issues in my life are selfishness, discontentment, and worry. There are certainly others, but it may be helpful to start by combatting those you deal with on a more frequent basis.

Once symptoms, struggles, and sins have been identified, it’s time to start making your Pocket Sword into a real weapon that can readily be used to combat these issues.

CREATE A COLOR KEY

Write out sins and struggles somewhere in the front or back of your Pocket Sword. There are many ways you could do this, but whatever way you choose, you will want to somehow color code each item on your list.

Put a colored piece of washi tape next to each sin or struggle. (This is what I did.)
Write the sin or struggle on the colored washi tape. (This is what my husband did.)
Write the sin or struggle with a specific colored pen or highlighter that you will use to mark the verses.

This list is not exhaustive, but is intended to give you some ideas. You can get creative with this step in whatever way works best for you.

HIGHLIGHT VERSES AND BOOKMARK ACCORDING TO YOUR COLOR KEY

The next step is to highlight or underline the verses that you want to use to combat your specific sins and struggles. You may want to start by using a search engine or concordance to find verses on a specific topic, but I really recommend taking the time to read through the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to point out the verses He has for you to use in your spiritual warfare.

I have chosen to highlight the verses in my Pocket Sword all in one color and then use washi tape to make tabs that correspond to the color key in the back. You could also use page flags or small sticky notes to bookmark the verses. Whatever you choose, I do recommend using something that goes with your color code for sins and struggles so that you can easily find verses on a specific topic when it’s time to do battle.

USE IT!

The Pocket Sword is a powerful weapon, but it only works if you use it. There is never a wrong time to reach for your weapon in spiritual warfare, but there are a few specific times that may be especially pivotal in winning the spiritual battle.

When You Wake Up

We really do wake up in a battle every day, whether we realize it or not. It’s best to be proactive and begin our day with some verses that combat the sins and struggles we know we will likely be facing. I try to pick at least one category of verses in my Pocket Sword to read before starting my day based on what sin or struggle seems to be the most likely I will deal with that day.

When Symptoms Arise

When feelings of anger or anxiety surface, I will best be able to combat the sin they are a symptom of if I immediately reach for the Scripture that deals with that sin. So when anxiety surfaces and I recognize it’s a symptom of worry in my heart, I try to pick up my Pocket Sword and go through my verses on worry.

When You’re Reaching for a Quick-Fix

I don’t know about you, but often when those symptoms of sins or struggles appear, I reach for my phone. Maybe you reach for food or the remote or a novel. None of these things are bad, but when we reach for them in moments of anxiety or anger instead of digging to find the root of the problem and fighting it with Scripture, we are essentially trying to put a Band-Aid on a broken bone and fix it. This will never work. Only the Word of God will truly heal us. When you find yourself reaching for a quick-fix, reach for your Pocket Sword instead.

BEFORE Symptoms Arise

This takes a little more awareness of the patterns and habits of your life, but if there are situations or times of day when you find yourself more tempted to sin or more likely to be engaged in a struggle, reach for your Pocket Sword before this happens. Learn to be proactive about using the Word of God as a weapon in your spiritual warfare.

Carry It With You

We wouldn’t go into battle without a weapon, so we are really foolish to go anywhere without the Sword of the Spirit. Try to always have your Pocket Sword within reach so that you will be ready to use it when temptation comes. However, be careful that you don’t get into the habit of carrying it with you and not actually using it. This is not a lucky charm, but the weapon of our spiritual warfare.

Since I have been effectively using The Pocket Sword as a weapon in the spiritual warfare in my life, I have found that I wake with anxiety far less often. I have found that I’m able to stay calm and kind in my interactions with my family. I have found that I am walking in the Spirit instead of walking in the flesh. I am truly having victory over sins and struggles in my life. You can have victory too. God has given us the only Weapon we need. Will you use it?

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

A Sanctifying Summer

Posted on September 27, 2022 by michelleelaineburton

“I’m so thankful for the place God has provided for us to live. I could live here comfortably for quite some time.”

Those were my words on a peaceful evening in May as I sat on the couch in our little living room with my husband. The duplex we had been renting for almost two years felt just like home in that moment, and I truly was comfortable. I was a month away from giving birth to our baby boy, and I was looking forward to the perfect postpartum period I had planned in our little home. Everything was as it should be; or so I thought.

Just two days later, sitting on that same couch, we took a phone call from our landlords. They would soon be listing our home for sale. The response of my heart in that moment was anything but spiritually mature. I was angry, not at our sweet Christian landlords, but at God. Why would He allow this? Why now, when we were about to bring a new baby home? Would we even have a home to bring our new baby to?

If I had known in that moment all that God was going to allow us to walk through this summer, I know I couldn’t have handled that knowledge. But God in his mercy handed us one challenge at a time and gave us exactly what we needed to come out victorious on the other side.

I’m not sharing the story of this summer out of a love for sharing personal stories, but out of a deep conviction that God would have me to publicly give Him the glory for what He accomplished in our lives this summer. My desire is to share the areas in which the Lord grew me spiritually so that you will be encouraged in your faith as well. Although this summer felt too painful to bear at times, the strength, security, and sanctification I found in the midst of some of the longest days and nights of my life are priceless treasures that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.

THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH

We had been anticipating teen camp with excitement for months, but we left town on that June morning bearing the burden of knowing that our house was listed for sale, and we had no control over whether or not we would be able to continue to live there. It was during one of the sponsor sessions that the Lord used the camp speaker to give us the answer to our burden.

1 Peter 5:7

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Whenever the worry began to surface, we started giving it to the Lord. Little did we know, we would return from camp with more burdens to cast on the Lord than the burden we came with.

If you know my husband, you know he has a reputation for being a pretty strong guy. So it probably comes as no surprise that he was selected to be part of a lumberjack competition. You know; log tossing, axe throwing, etcetera. The event he was selected to participate in was arm wrestling.

I don’t know if you know this, but you can actually snap your arm in half while arm wrestling. I didn’t know. But we found out the hard way. Apparently when you have two very strong and determined men arm wrestling who are evenly matched it becomes a test of bone density rather than muscle strength.

Steven’s humerus did snap in half, and in that moment it seemed as if everything in the world was silenced and we were all alone in a vacuum. A thousand questions ran through my head. How would Steven work at his very physical job? What would we eat? (If you don’t already know, Steven is the chef in our family. I can cook, but I assure you it isn’t great.) How would I take care of our two year old and our new baby that could come at any moment? I was 37 weeks pregnant, and I suddenly felt the weight of the world on my shoulders even as Steven was feeling the intense pain of a broken bone.

As I quickly packed a bag for the hospital (although not the hospital bag I thought I would be needing at 37 weeks pregnant), I wanted to call someone. I needed someone to be strong for me because in that moment I wasn’t strong at all. I lean on my husband’s strength so much, but in an instant his strength was gone both physically and mentally. But it was so late, I knew there was no one I could call. My panicked thought was, “No one is awake!” The Holy Spirit’s gentle reply was, “I’m awake.” And that was His gentle reply many more nights this summer when I felt all alone.

Although the little country emergency room in North Carolina assured us Steven wouldn’t need surgery, a second opinion on our return home assured us that Steven most definitely needed surgery. While Steven was in one emergency room getting a second opinion, I found myself in another emergency room because I had started running a high fever. That’s never a good sign at 38 weeks pregnant. The diagnosis was COVID. That was the last thing I was expecting, but our baby boy was completely healthy, so I returned home relieved.

My case of COVID was mild. I ran a fever for about a day and a half, had a little sinus congestion, and felt very tired. But was I tired because I had COVID or tired because I was 38 weeks pregnant? I guess I’ll never know for sure. Somewhere in the fog of my days with COVID, Steven went in for surgery. He was finally on the road to his long recovery.

Exactly one week after Steven’s surgery, our baby was born. I’m thankful much of my physical strength had returned by that time, and the Lord blessed me with an easy delivery. I believe He did so because He knew I was in for a marathon of baby care for the next few weeks.

Steven couldn’t even hold the baby. With great effort, he was able to take care of our two year old’s needs. People from our church provided food for us. My mom helped with cleaning and meals. She would have done more, but she’s in a season of taking care of her own aging mother. So all of the baby care fell to me. Looking back, I can’t believe I took care of our newborn for an entire month with virtually no help. All the feeding, all the diapers, all the night wakings, no one to even hold the baby while I ate. I don’t say this to say how strong I am; I’m not strong.

But my prayers for God to sustain me were desperate, and He answered.

I have several distinct memories of those early weeks being awake in the middle of the night with the baby. Steven was awake too; he couldn’t sleep through his pain, but he also wasn’t able to hold the baby. But we were both awake. In the times when it felt like it was too much, I prayed out loud. Over the course of the summer, I stopped praying for God to give me strength. That wasn’t enough. I prayed that He would be my strength. It was only in the full strength of Christ in me that I was not only able to survive the hardest nights of my life, but to thrive.

I had joy in those days. When my daughter was born three years ago, I struggled deeply. But the reason I struggled was because I hadn’t yet learned to find my strength in the Lord. It took a time of great weakness to find out just how strong He is. And so I wouldn’t trade that season of weakness and those painful sleepless nights for anything in the world.

2 Corinthians 12:9

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

THE LORD IS MY SECURITY

A couple of hours before we brought our baby boy home from the hospital, my husband said, “I need to tell you something, and there’s not going to be a good time to do it. So I’m telling you now. Our house is under contract.”

I laughed.

After all we had been through, of course our house would go under contract the day we brought our son home.

A little while later, a hospital staff member was getting some last minute information and asked for our home address. I started to give our address, but I couldn’t finish. I broke down sobbing. Steven had to finish it for me.

Putting on our baby’s going home outfit brought more tears. Was the place we were taking our baby even going to be our home within a couple of months? If it wasn’t, where would we go? And how would we get there? I had just given birth, and Steven’s arm was still thoroughly broken. How were we supposed to move?

In those days of uncertainty I felt anything but secure. But I continued to desperately seek the Lord because I didn’t know what else to do. And in Him I found security.

Matthew 6:25-34

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God was going to take care of us. I believed that. And if I couldn’t have peace in the days of not knowing if we would get to keep our home, I wouldn’t have true peace when we knew for sure where we were going to live for the next year. If I only had peace when I knew where we were going to live, my security was not in the Lord, but in a brick and mortar house.

The first month of our baby’s life was filled with house inspections, appraisals, and last minute repairs. It wasn’t the quiet postpartum period I had envisioned, but God gave mercy and grace there as well. On the day we found out the new landlord wanted to keep us as tenants, I sobbed again. God had provided. It came with a dramatic rent increase, but I knew God would provide for that as well. Day by day, He was giving us our daily bread.

THE LORD DESIRES MY SANCTIFICATION

Our summer was difficult. It would be easy to overlook God’s purpose in all of it. Some of it seemed like senseless suffering, but we know God has a holy purpose for everything He allows into our lives.

People like to quote Romans 8:28 when times are hard. All things work together for good! But where’s the good in broken bones and COVID, sold homes and rent increases? If we don’t read Romans 8:29 as well, we miss the whole point.

Romans 8:28-29

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

The point is not that God is necessarily going to give us the material blessings that we see as good. The ultimate good that God is working in our lives is to conform us to the imagine of His Son. If I can become more like Christ as a result of suffering, I will welcome all the difficulties God chooses to allow into our lives.

My desire for this summer was to become more sanctified, more holy, more like my Savior because I know that is His desire for my life. I’ve learned to ask myself, is this desire a selfish desire or a sanctifying desire? I can assure you that there is a very selfish part of myself that did not want to be helping my husband get dressed when I was 38 weeks pregnant and had COVID. My flesh wanted to sit on the couch and be waited on hand and foot. And the world would tell me I deserved it. But the Lord has been teaching me to lose myself in a life of service to others and find joy in doing it. I can honestly say that I am glad I had the opportunity to die to my flesh and serve because I know that without the events of this summer I would not be anywhere near as close to the Lord as I am today. And that sweet fellowship is absolutely priceless.

We’re closing a chapter of our lives in more ways than one. The summer eventually calmed down. Steven’s bone has made a full recovery, and it’s just a matter of taking the time to strengthen his arm muscles again. One way the Lord has chosen to provide for our needs is by allowing my husband to quit his part time job at FedEx and begin working full time at our church as the assistant pastor. We’re ready to serve. After all the Lord has done for us, the very least we can do is offer our lives to Him.

The verse that I carried close to my heart this summer was Psalm 23:6:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The words goodness and mercy rang out in my mind in many of the moments that felt anything but good and merciful. But looking back I can see those words were true. Goodness and mercy were following me. They will continue to follow me all the days of my life. They’ll continue to follow you all the days of your life as well. And the reality is, this world is not our home. For those of us who know Christ, our permanent dwelling place is in heaven. But as long as we’re on this earth, we can find our strength and security in the Lord, even as He continues to sanctify us.

Manna: When It’s Not What You Want

Posted on June 25, 2021June 24, 2021 by michelleelaineburton

I have a confession: I don’t always want to have my quiet time. Sometimes I have lengthy seasons that are completely dry, and I would just as soon not open God’s Word. Nonetheless, I continue to have a quiet time when I don’t want to. Why? Isn’t that just hypocritical? If my heart isn’t in it, why bother?

Just as I sometimes don’t want to read my Bible, the Israelites came to a point where they were tired of manna, God’s sustaining provision in their lives. (If you missed the first two posts in this series on manna, you can find them here: Manna: What Is It? and Manna: What Does It Represent?)

Numbers 11:4-6

And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick; but now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

The Israelites longed for something more satisfying, and they thought they could find it in their former pleasure in the land of Egypt. They failed to realize that God had provided them with everything they needed. God has provided us with what we need to fill our deepest hunger through His Word. When we don’t want to read God’s Word, there are three things we must remember.

RECOGNIZE WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES

The problem is never with God’s provision; the problem is with my heart attitude. Whether it is a result of sin in my life or a result of a season of discouragement, the reason for a lack of desire to read God’s Word is not that His Word is no longer satisfying. God’s Word will always be perfect, exactly what I need to satisfy my deepest longings. If I’m not satisfied, I am the problem. I may need to deal with the sin issue in my life or persevere through a season of discouragement, but I don’t ever want to neglect to read God’s Word. He will use it to help me to come through to the other side of whatever I’m facing.

REMEMBER THAT EVEN IF I DON’T WANT IT, I NEED IT

God’s Word is essential for my survival spiritually, just as food is essential for my survival physically. I wouldn’t go days without eating just because nothing sounds good. My survival instinct would kick in, and I would have to eat something. There’s no use skipping a spiritual meal just because it doesn’t sound appetizing. God’s Word will nourish our souls, even when we don’t realize it.

REST IN KNOWING THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT I NEED BETTER THAN I DO

As much as I strive for my appetites to be for spiritual things, there are times when I just want spiritual junk food. Nothing sinful, per se. I just want to scroll social media or read a fiction book for hours on end. I somehow feel like this will satisfy me. But God says differently.

Deuteronomy 8:3

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

Manna was meant to be a reminder that more than we need food to survive, we need the Word of God. I may think something else will satisfy me, but I must trust that God knows what I need. He has provided completely satisfying food for my soul through His Word.

What about you? What helps you stay consistent when you’re going through a dry season? Share with me in the comments! If you need help staying consistent, I would love to provide you with a tool to help. The Sixty Second Quiet Time is an easy way to consistently connect with God, even in the dry seasons. Leave your name and email address below, and I will send this guide to your inbox for free.

Manna: What Does It Represent?

Posted on June 18, 2021June 9, 2021 by michelleelaineburton

Last week on the blog, we talked about what manna was. (If you missed it, you can find the post here.) This week I want to share with you what the Lord has been teaching me about what manna represents in our lives.

Deuteronomy 8:3

Manna is a beautiful picture of God’s Word in our daily lives. More than we need physical food, we need God’s Word in our lives every day to sustain us. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He actually quoted from this passage of Scripture.

Matthew 4:4

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

If Jesus, being God, needed the Word of God to sustain Him, how much more do we need it? I want to share with you three parallels between manna and the Word of God in our lives. I pray that this picture will help you find satisfaction in the Word of God the way it has helped me.

IT’S THERE FOR THE GATHERING

When the children of Israel were given manna for the first time in answer to their prayers, Moses instructed them on what to do with it.

Exodus 16:16

This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

The manna was there for the taking, but it wouldn’t do the Israelites any good if they didn’t take it! God’s Word is exactly the same. It’s there to nourish our souls, but if we don’t get up every day and actually read it, it won’t do us any good.

IT’S JUST ENOUGH FOR EACH DAY

Exodus 16:17-18

And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

It doesn’t matter how much or how little we read of God’s Word every day; it will always be enough. On the days when we can sit and read chapters at a time, it will be enough. But on the days when we barely find time to read a few verses, it will still be enough. God’s Word is always enough.

WE CAN’T WORK AHEAD OR MAKE UP DAYS

Exodus 16:19-20

And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

I love working ahead. In fact, I’m working ahead right now. This blog post won’t be published for nine more days, but I’m getting it ready now because I’ll be traveling before it’s published. But our quiet time doesn’t work like that. I can’t store up nine days worth of quiet time now so that I’m free to do other things later. I also can’t somehow make up for a missed day by reading extra the next day. God’s Word will always be exactly enough for the day that I’m in right now, no more and no less. It will always be exactly what I need.

I pray that these words will encourage you to gather the sustaining bread of God’s Word every day. He has so many wonderful things in store for you! I’ll be continuing this series on manna next Friday. If you don’t want to miss it, make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter by leaving your name and email address below. I’ll send a new devotional to your inbox every week, as well as a link to my latest blog post so you never miss a thing.

Manna: What Is It?

Posted on June 11, 2021June 9, 2021 by michelleelaineburton

My toddler wakes up in the morning with one thing on her mind: toast. How do I know? It’s the first word out of her mouth the moment her feet hit the floor. She loves toast, and she wants it every single day. She loves toast so much, she can’t even wait for it to finish toasting. So, she eats half a piece of plain bread while the other half toasts.

There’s so much about my toddler’s vibrance and vigor for life that I admire. This may seem like a silly one, but physical hunger and the desire to fill it is such a natural part of life. Just ask the Israelites in the wilderness. They had one thing on their mind: food.

Exodus 16:2-3

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: and the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

God had brought them out of the land of Egypt, but they weren’t too thrilled about it. What was the point of being free if they were going to starve to death? But they could have trusted the God who set them free to take care of their every need. He had no intention of letting them starve.

Exodus 16:4

Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

God heard the cries of his children for toast, and He was going to provide bread from heaven to meet their needs.

Exodus 16:14-15

And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

Have you ever wondered where the name “manna” came from? It literally means, “What is it?” The Israelites had no clue what this white stuff on the ground was! It wasn’t snow in the desert; it was a miracle even greater. God had provided for their most basic need, even when they didn’t believe He would. I can trust that God will provide for my needs as well.

God wanted so much more than to meet their physical needs. He had a lesson to teach them, and He wanted to provide for their spiritual needs as well. I’ll be sharing more about manna on the blog next Friday. If you don’t want to miss it, make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter by leaving your name and email address below. I’ll send a fresh devotional to your inbox every week, as well as a link to my latest blog post so you never miss a thing. (You’ll also get my 60 Second Quiet Time in your inbox today, absolutely free!)

The Essential Elements of a Quiet Time

Posted on June 4, 2021June 3, 2021 by michelleelaineburton

The options for devotional materials are endless, and I feel like I’ve tried almost everything. Devotional books, prayer journals, journaling prompts, gratitude journals, journaling Bibles, and just plain Bibles. Then there are the accessories. Accessories??? Pens, markers, highlighters, pencils, washi tape, and Post-it Notes. And should I drink coffee or tea? Who knew having a quiet time could be so complicated!

It’s easy to get bogged down in what you believe your quiet time should look like physically, but I recently had an encouraging conversation with a friend that challenged me in my thinking. If you’re overwhelmed with all the options, I want to share with you three essential elements of a quiet time to help you have a meaningful, daily time with the Lord.

FOCUS

Our quiet time isn’t just another thing for us to do; it’s about a Person who wants to spend time with us. What matters about our quiet time is spending time with God. A quiet time should begin with placing our focus on the Person we are spending time with. What if we sat down and asked God what He wanted our quiet time to look like? His answer for you may be different than His answer for me; it may even be different than what you expected it to be! Rather than holding yourself to an impossible standard of what you think your quiet time should look like, ask God to show you what He wants. I know this is a prayer He will answer! If our focus is in the right place, there are really only two other essential elements to a quiet time.

LISTEN

Relationships are built on listening. It seems obvious that if we want to build a relationship with God, we should listen to what He has to say. I’m so thankful He has preserved His perfect Word for us to read in the English language. We don’t have to wait for some miraculous revelation to hear from God; He’s already given us everything we need in the Bible. Although reading what men have written about God’s Word can be helpful, it’s important to first understand what God has said in His Word firsthand. I’m thankful for commentaries and Bible study tools, but they can never replace the Word of God. It is an essential element in a quiet time.

SPEAK

I’m a quiet person by nature. Unfortunately, this has kept me from making friends many times over the years. I’m happy to listen to someone talk all day long, but a relationship can never really be built unless I open myself up to that person as well. God already knows everything about us, but He still wants us to talk to Him in order to build a close relationship! My approach to quiet time has often been like my approach to friendship: I would much rather read what God has to say than say anything myself. But prayer is an essential element of quiet time. If you don’t know what to say to God, start by telling Him about your day. He’s always ready to listen.

If our focus is on God and we include some element of listening to Him through His Word and speaking to Him through prayer, the rest of what our quiet time looks like is between us and the Lord. The length of time or the number of chapters we read don’t matter. What matters is that we’re sensitive to what the Lord is leading us to do.

Bible Journaling Essentials

Posted on May 28, 2021May 26, 2021 by michelleelaineburton

Journaling is by far my favorite activity. I started keeping a journal when I was ten years old, and I’ve hardly missed a day since. I saw a journaling Bible for the first time when I was in high school, and the concept was beyond appealing to me. I don’t know why it took me so long to actually get one. Probably because I’ve never actually bought myself a Bible; they’ve always been gifted to me.

My husband bought a journaling Bible for me last fall. A friend of ours hand painted the cover, and it is absolutely beautiful. Beauty aside, what I love about it the most is the purpose for which it was made: taking notes in the margins. I’ve always written notes in the tiny margins of my Bibles, but I finally have a Bible with plenty of space for writing. If you’re interested in Bible journaling, I want to share my Bible journaling essentials with you to help you get started.

A JOURNALING BIBLE

This one is obvious, but you’ll need a journaling Bible. There are many options, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed. The two main options are margins without lines and margins with lines. My journaling Bible has margins with lines. This is a good option for me because I’m using it to write notes about the passage of Scripture I’m reading. If you’re a note taker, this would be a good option for you. I like this one.

If you’re more artistic and want to do hand lettering or sketches in the margins, a Bible without lined margins might be a better option for you. This one would be perfect!

HIGHLIGHTERS

I was never one to highlight in my Bible until I started using a journaling Bible, but now that I’ve started, I don’t think I’ll ever go back. Underlining is fine, but highlighters look so much neater. I love these highlighters because they are double ended. The fine tip end is perfect for highlighting in smaller print Bibles. They’re also not fluorescent like most highlighters, and they don’t bleed through. (Disclaimer: journaling Bibles usually have thicker pages. I can’t say if they would bleed through a regular Bible with very thin pages.)

A PEN

You’ll want a pen that you like to write with. I use a nice ballpoint pen like this one. Fountain pens are always fun, but I haven’t tried one in my journaling Bible. This really depends on your preference. If there’s a type of pen you normally like writing with, go with that one. You really can’t go wrong.

WASHI TAPE

You can use washi tape for so many different things. The thing I use it for the most is marking the verse where I left off. I just tear off a little piece and stick it by the verse where I want to pick up tomorrow. It won’t ruin the pages of any Bible, and you can reuse the same piece over and over. You could also stick a strip of washi tape vertically beside a passage you want to take notes on. This would mark which verses go with which notes. Get creative here!

The sky is really the limit when it comes to Bible journaling, but these are my essentials to get you started. If you have any other tips, I would love to hear about them in the comments!

When You Can’t Have a Morning Quiet Time

Posted on May 21, 2021May 20, 2021 by michelleelaineburton

My toddler woke up at 6:45 a.m. this morning ready to go. Ready or not, it was time to get up. I don’t even try to get up before my little early riser to read my Bible in the morning, and I’m totally okay with that. There’s nothing wrong with waiting to have a quiet time when you’re at your best. For me right now, that’s 1:30 p.m. when my toddler is napping. That’s my daily appointment with the Lord, and I look forward to it.

I’ve heard many good arguments for keeping a morning quiet time, and I have no desire to dispute those. There are excellent reasons to meet with the Lord first thing in the morning, and I look forward to the time when I will again be able to have that time in the morning. Meeting with the Lord in the morning sets the tone for your day and gives you the strength you need for whatever may come your way. But if it’s not possible to have a quality quiet time with the Lord in the morning, there are a few things you can do to set the right tone for your day anyway.

READ A FEW VERSES TO START YOUR DAY

Our Bible reading time doesn’t always have to be extensive, and our quiet time may not always be quiet. Even though I don’t have my quiet time in the mornings, I like to read a Psalm out loud at the breakfast table with my daughter. It’s important for her to hear the Word of God, but I do this mostly for myself. This gives me a chance to get my focus on the Lord, and it sets a positive tone for the rest of my day.

LISTEN TO AN AUDIO BIBLE

If you’re an auditory learner like my husband, this may be a good option for you. You can listen to the Bible on an app on your phone while you get ready in the morning. I still recommend having a time later when you sit down and focus completely on spending time with God, but this is a great way to set the tone for your day until you have time for a more focused quiet time.

PLAY UPLIFTING MUSIC

Even when life is a little chaotic, having uplifting music playing in the background can make a big difference in your mindset. Have a go-to playlist of encouraging Christian music to easily set the right tone for the day for your entire family. When things quiet down a little bit and you are able to have a focused time with the Lord, your heart will already be prepared for what He has to teach you.

I pray that these ideas will give you a practical way to set the tone for your day when it’s just not possible to have a morning quiet time. Do you have any more tips? Tell me about them in the comments! If you need a practical way to focus your attention on the Lord, I have a free resource just for you. The 60 Second Quiet Time is designed to teach busy women how to take just one minute to refocus their attention on the Lord. Enter your name and email address below, and I will send this guide directly to your inbox!

How to Take Sermon Notes (That You Can Actually Use!)

Posted on May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 by michelleelaineburton

I’ve consistently taken sermon notes for over half of my life, but I’ve always felt a little bit of regret that I didn’t know how I could possibly find a set of notes again if I wanted to reference it. So, my journals have just collected dust on my shelves as time has passed. Occasionally I’ve remembered a specific sermon and tried in vain to find my notes. I may have actually gone back and read my notes once or twice, but certainly no more than that.

I was recently sitting listening to a sermon, and there were so many incredible truths mentioned that I wanted to write all of them in the margin of my Bible so that I wouldn’t forget them! Unfortunately, there wasn’t room in the margin of my Bible, and I was faced with the sad reality that I likely wouldn’t go back and read my sermon notes again. In that moment, I thought of a way that I could easily reference my sermon notes over and over again. Not only would this serve to help me remember the sermons I hear, but it would also enhance my personal Bible study. Over the last couple months, I’ve developed a system to take sermon notes that are actually usable. I hope part (or all!) of this system will be helpful for you, too.

Keep your notes in one place, in chronological order.

Whether you scribble sermon notes on the back of a bulletin or fill in the blanks on a handout, chances are you aren’t keeping that piece of paper very long. I love fill in the blank handouts as much as the next person, but after a while, it’s almost impossible to keep up with them all!

Personally, I find that it’s best to have a notebook specifically for taking sermon notes. I use these Moleskine notebooks. If your church does use some sort of printed outline, go ahead and take one; just transfer any notes you want to keep into your notebook.

If the fill in the blank outline is a must for you, there are a couple ways to keep them organized. You could keep them all in a file box in chronological order, but this may be a little more difficult to sort through when you need to find a specific set of notes. The second option is a bit more labor intensive, but if you have a scanner, you can scan the handouts and save them in a file together on your computer. I had hundreds of sermon notes handouts from college, and I still have them saved on my computer this way.

Whether you write your notes in a notebook, keep them in a file, scan handouts into your computer, or do something entirely different, make sure you keep them in chronological order.

Write the date at the top of your notes and in your Bible next to the key passage.

This is the key to being able to find your notes when you need them. If you’re looking for notes on a specific passage or topic, you’ll be able to find the date in the margin of your Bible. If you have your notes in chronological order, it will be easy to find any notes you have on that specific passage.

I only recently started doing this, but I know it will be so helpful in making my sermon notes actually useful! I’ve kept notes in chronological order for quite some time, so I plan to go back and write the dates for the notes next to the key passages in my Bible.

I realize some people don’t like to write in their Bibles, but I would really encourage you to try this. God wants His Word to make a difference in our everyday lives, and if writing a date in the margins can help you, you should do it! I have a few Bibles (as do many Americans; we are so blessed!), and I use one exclusively for church. There are a few notes in the margins of this Bible, but it’s mostly open for writing dates. If it would help you to get a new Bible just for this purpose, go ahead and do it! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive, and the margins don’t have to be especially wide. You just need to be able to write a date. Something like this would work just fine.

Take lots of notes, including lots of Scripture references.

If you don’t know where to start with taking notes, you can just write down the main points as the preacher gives them. Sometimes I do this, but sometimes I just write down the statements that especially speak to my heart. No matter how you take notes, I would encourage you to write down as many Scripture references as you can that are mentioned in the sermon. When you go back to study a passage later, you will be able to look up the references related to that passage. And who knows? Maybe you’ll have sermon notes on those passages to take your study even further!

I hope something here will be helpful to you! Do you have any other ways you keep your sermon notes organized and usable? Let me know in the comments!

Drop the Guilt Over Bible Study

Posted on May 7, 2021May 8, 2021 by michelleelaineburton

I mentioned in a recent blog post, How to Read Your Bible More, that we need to drop the guilt about our quiet time. Bible study is not a competition, and it’s not a race. Nonetheless, sometimes we find that we feel guilty over some perceived shortcoming in our Bible study time. I’m very consistent with my quiet time now, and more and more I’m setting aside the guilt that comes so naturally when my time with God doesn’t look exactly like I think it should. But this wasn’t always the case.

I can’t help but thinking back to a warm spring night when I was sixteen. My family had gone to a baseball game that evening, and we got home very late. I had been pretty consistent with having daily devotions for a few years, but I missed days here and there. As I laid in bed that night, I realized I hadn’t opened my Bible all day long. The guilt struck, and I promised myself that I would never let it happen again.

That promise carried me for quite some time in my journey to know God. Although it helped me to get into a good habit, my motivation was anything but good. I didn’t want to feel guilty! Over time, my motivation has changed, and I’m far more concerned with having a relationship with God than I am with how many days I read my Bible this week. I hope you don’t struggle with guilt over missed days of quiet time, but if you do, I want to give you three practical tips to help you drop the guilt.

STOP COMPARING

One pitfall we often find ourselves in is comparing what we do to what others are doing. But the Bible itself tells us that this isn’t wise.

2 Corinthians 10:12

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

We see that mom who wakes up before the sun rises to have a quiet Bible study time first thing in the morning, or that retired lady who seems to have all the time in the world to study God’s Word if she wants. Meanwhile, we have to sneak in a few minutes of time with God in the car before a long shift at work, or we desperately grab for a verse to hold onto as little feet are padding down the hallway way too early.

And then the guilt sets in.

“If I just had the discipline of that person, I would have gotten up earlier.”

“If I just had the time that lady has, I would be able to read my Bible more.”

If we want to make progress in our walk with God, this kind of thinking has to stop. The truth is, God knows exactly how much time we have, and He knows the limitations we face. Rather than comparing ourselves with others, He simply wants us to give Him the time we do have.

And it may help to remember that the mom that seems like she has it all together and the retired lady with “all the time in the world” have their own limitations too. Life happens to them just like it happens to you, and their quiet time gets cut short. Maybe they feel the same guilt. Rather than drowning in guilt, let’s find safety in the boat of God’s grace.

RECEIVE GRACE

When you realize just how much grace and compassion the God of the Bible has for you, it becomes much more difficult to feel guilty over a quiet time that doesn’t look exactly like you thought it should. God doesn’t have a sticker chart in heaven where He marks how many days you’ve had a devotion time, and He’s not standing over you with a stop watch to see how much time you spend. He’s eagerly awaiting every second you spend with Him each day. And even if some days that looks like spending one minute in His Word, He’s ready to reveal Himself to you in that time.

And if you miss a day? God is there to give grace for that as well. Ideally, we would spend time with God every day because we love Him so much. But when life gets in the way, and interruptions keep demanding your attention, God knows all about it. He understands. He’s not standing there waiting for you to fail to spend time with Him so that He can punish you; He’s ready to show mercy to your weary soul.

Lamentations 3:22-23

It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

God knows exactly what you’re going through. Rest easy in his grace, and arise the next morning knowing that His compassions fail not.

LOOK AHEAD

Looking back and wishing you had spent more time with the Lord is rarely helpful. You can’t go back and change the past, but you can determine in your heart to rearrange your priorities in the future to spend more time with the Lord.

Philippians 3:13-14

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

What are you spending your time on that you could possibly set aside to be able to spend more time with God? Is it your phone? A favorite TV show? Reading? None of these things are bad in and of themselves, but when they take priority over God’s Word, you would do well to evaluate how you could better spend your time.

As you spend more and more time with God in His Word, you will begin to anticipate with excitement that time with the Lord. There’s no need for guilt when we serve a God of grace.

If you want more help having a daily quiet time with God, sign up below to get The 60 Second Quiet Time guide sent to your inbox for free. It’s so important to start small when we’re trying to establish a new routine. This guide will help you to start having a consistent daily quiet time. It provides a practical tool for you to use when it seems like you just don’t have time in your day for a pause. No time spent with God is wasted; He wants to change your life. Will you let Him?