Anytime is the right time to read the Word of God. This 5-day devotional is designed to offer spiritual encouragement, enduring truths to hold on to, and practical ways you can put Jesus first in your everyday life. God’s Word never changes, yet it always changes us. When you put God’s Word before the world, you will find that everything else falls into its rightful place.
Tyndale House Publishers
Day 1
Scriptures: John 1:1, Psalms 119:93, Philippians 4:6-7, Romans 5:3-5
Putting the World before the Word Doesn’t Work
The unwelcome chime of my alarm jolts me awake. Still half asleep, I clumsily press the snooze button in the pitch black of our bedroom. In what feels like a matter of seconds, fifteen minutes pass, and the alarm chimes again. This time I grab my phone and tap the internet icon in a stubborn attempt to wake up while remaining in bed—checking email, scrolling social media, perusing news headlines.
By the time I leave the comfort of my covers and place my feet on the carpet, a pit of insecurity has formed in my stomach. The perfectly polished photos I just consumed on social media directly contrast with the unkempt reality before me. On top of that, my mind is racing one hundred miles per hour as I ruminate on a doomsday article I read that has me convinced the world is on the brink of disaster!
Fear strangles my peace, my vision is obstructed by a mountain of worry, and the contentment I could have enjoyed is crushed to smithereens . . . and it’s only 6:30 a.m.
This exact scenario has happened more times than I care to admit. When I put the world before the Word of God, the outcome is always the same: I’m left spiritually dry.
One December, on the eve of a new year, I sat down with my journal to get to the bottom of why I was struggling with perpetual discouragement in my faith. As I took inventory of how I spent my time, I discovered a habit of giving Jesus my leftovers. Despite what I said I believed, the ideas, priorities, and pursuits of this world had more authority and influence over the formation of my soul than the Word of God did.
Peace was absent from my mind, anxiety had taken up residence in my soul, and discontentment drove my desires. My spiritual taste buds had become used to the unsatisfying junk food the world offers: surface-level affirmations and quick fixes. I needed to be retrained to crave the satisfying feast of God’s Word.
Frustrated by my failure to put Christ first, I confessed my desperate need for the Holy Spirit’s help.
I’d tried and failed enough times to recognize that the true pursuit of God is not a self-help journey; it’s a Spirit-led surrender as we learn how to savor our Savior above all else. As I realized this, I wrote down a quick phrase to reframe how I wanted to spend my time, start my days, and shape my mindset:
Word before world.
This three-word statement has become my morning manifesto, my afternoon anthem, and my evening comfort. No matter the season of life I’m in or what circumstances I’m going through, these three words transform my worldview, my schedule, my dreams, and my desires. When my alarm sounds in the morning, I remember: Word before world. When I reach for my phone to escape the pressures and stresses of everyday life, the Holy Spirit reminds me: Word before world. When my Bible remains unopened for days at a time, I pick it back up and resolve, by God’s grace: Word before world. Instead of looking at my phone, my lists, and my plans for direction and nourishment, I commit to looking first to Jesus—and this changes everything.
Day 2
Scriptures: Isaiah 40:8, Psalms 119:50, John 15:1-2, Psalms 73:26, John 15:8
Unchanging God in Changing Seasons
When my son was in kindergarten, he was delighted when his teacher assigned him the role of class weather watcher. To fulfill his responsibilities, he’d walk over to the window and describe to his classmates what he saw outside. Was the sidewalk wet with rain? Were billowy clouds darkening his view? Was the sun shining brightly? Were small cotton clouds speckling the sky? Ever since his days as weather watcher, he has been fascinated by predictions about what the weather would be like in the days ahead.
I’m just like my son, except I find myself relentlessly watching the weather of my own life, scanning the horizon for what storm might be brewing. I’m eager to know what I should prepare for, what I should bring with me, or whether I should just stay put. Like a traveler packing my bag for a long journey, I want to be prepared for anything that could happen.
When it comes to the seasons of nature, my favorite is springtime, hands down. As a gardener, I anxiously await the first post-frost sunny day in April, when I can crack open the dormant soil and plant my prized zinnia seeds. I wish I could live in perpetual springtime, soaking up the days when the sun goes to bed later and we can use nature’s air-conditioning, leaving all the windows open. But that is not how life unfolds. We enjoy pleasant seasons and endure harsh ones; we bask in the sunshine and take refuge from the rain; we gaze at clear skies and prepare for cloudy days.
The same is true in my walk with God. I wish I could live in a never-ending season of growth and abundance—enjoying the nearness of God, savoring the sweetness of Scripture, squeezing all the joy out of what comes my way. But just as the seasons of nature change, so do the seasons of life. We can’t prepare for every situation we will face or pack for every potential problem. Instead, God calls us to entrust our souls to his tender care (see Proverbs 3:5-6). He sees each crimson leaf that drifts to the ground, each zinnia petal unfolding, each baby bird nestled in a tree. How much more does he see and sustain us?
One thing remains the same in every season—the unchanging character, presence, and provision of God.
In winter seasons, God’s Word warms and comforts our souls (see Psalm 119:50). In spring seasons, God’s Word awakens and prunes our faith (see John 15:1-2). In summer seasons, God’s Word grows and strengthens our endurance (see Psalm 73:26). In autumn seasons, God’s Word produces a harvest for his glory (see John 15:8).
Prioritizing the Word before the world cloaks us against the cold of unbelief, shades us from the heat of unexpected trials, nourishes us in droughts of waiting, and satisfies us when answered prayers bloom and abound. The God of every season gives us eternal shelter to enjoy rest through Christ. Instead of being a weather watcher, on the lookout for what we might walk through next, we can dwell in the sanctuary of God’s never-changing Word, knowing he will always provide us with the sustaining grace we need to not only survive but to thrive in him.
Day 3
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 9:8, 1 John 4:4, Lamentations 3:22-24
First Things First
Every morning, with heavy eyes and groggy vision, I pour my first cup of coffee. I walk to the couch and sink into the well-worn cushions, sitting in a daze for a few moments, trying to coax my soul out of its slumber. My initial prayer is almost always the same: God, please wake me up so I can read the Word before I start this day!
I crave this time—the stillness and quiet, the calm before the storm. I want these first moments to be perfect, peaceful, and perspective-shaping. But instead of being a scene of serenity, these times often look like a string of external interruptions or an internal skirmish.
As my mental distractions grow louder, my phone beckons me from the cabinet where it has been resting all night, silently screaming for me to pick it up and check email or scroll social media for just a minute. But I know that once I open the door, the noise of the world will crank up. I ask the Lord to help me resist the temptation to zone out so I can settle my soul in his unchanging Word.
Miraculously, I open my Bible and journal and soak in God’s Word. Sometimes these moments multiply as I feast on Scripture, and other times I am interrupted by early-waking children or a random thought about something important I forgot to do. Sometimes I sense God’s presence as tangibly as if he were on the couch with me, and other times I wonder if I am talking to a brick wall. But one thing is certain: I never regret training my soul to put Jesus first.
When you aim to put Jesus first in your life, expect to face roadblocks that make it hard to press on. The snooze button becomes more enticing, and it is tempting to pick up your phone before picking up your Bible. But take heart, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (see 1 John 4:4)!
The battle in your heart can only be won through Christ’s sanctifying work within you as he reframes your desires, rewires your mind, and renews your heart. We do not fight for victory but from the victory Christ already accomplished on the cross. Christ, who loved you first, will also help you put him first in your day, in your thinking, and in your life.
Show up weak, knowing he is strong. Ask him for strength, knowing he will give you the perseverance to run the race he has set before you. He gives fresh grace from his infinite supply in Christ Jesus, and his mercies are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22-24)—even on the days when morning comes too soon or you fall asleep in the middle of your Bible reading. Jesus is worthy of your first moments, your last moments, and every moment in between.
When your gaze starts to shift, your mind starts to wander, and your heart starts to lean toward the ways of this world, turn your eyes back to Jesus, who wakes our sleeping souls from their slumber so they awaken to his grace.
Day 4
Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:6-7, Psalms 119:105, Isaiah 43:19, Psalms 34:18, John 6:35
Every Thought Is an Arrow
It was an all-out, knockdown fight to focus my mind during my Bible study this morning. Worries, fears, unresolved questions, and pressing to-dos inundated my mind like water rushing past a broken dam. Every verse I read seemed to stream through one ear and out the other. I huffed a sigh of defeat as the clock relentlessly ticked down the minutes. I knew it wouldn’t be long until I was interrupted by a family member and my time studying the Word would end.
In an act of desperation, I scribbled in my journal every thought engulfing my mind in an attempt to wrangle each one into submission. As I put pen to paper and recorded the worries swirling in my head, something unexpected happened.
By the time I set down my pen and read through what I’d written, I realized that every thought pointed like a blinking arrow right back to my need for Jesus. Though my wrestling match felt like a dead end, it actually led to my desired destination: a heart and mind surrendered to Jesus and settled in his Word (see Psalm 119:105).
God is able to turn our distractions into detours directing us to our Savior. Time spent wrestling before, during, and after you read your Bible isn’t a waste; it’s a way back to him.
When the disappointments of yesterday overshadow your soul, let them remind you to let go of the past and hold fast to the Lord, who makes a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert (see Isaiah 43:19).
When grief over a loss overwhelms you, let your tears allow you to experience the comfort of God as you share in Christ’s sufferings (see Psalm 34:18; 2 Corinthians 1:4; Philippians 3:10).
When a struggle with sin rages inside you, allow the Holy Spirit to urge you toward confession, repentance, and restoration (see Romans 2:4; John 16:8).
When unfulfilled longings unsettle you, surrender them to Jesus, who fills every hungry soul with good things (see Psalm 107:9; John 6:35).
There is no wasted time when we wrestle our thoughts into submission to Christ and seek to fill our minds with God’s inexhaustible Word. Wrestling is where the sanctification of our souls takes place.
Don’t allow the enemy a foothold in your mind, sister. Wrestle with your wayward thoughts and cast all your anxieties on the Lord. Turn your attention to him, and allow every thought to redirect your mind and remind you to trust his Word more deeply.
Day 5
Scriptures: Psalms 90:12, Matthew 6:21, James 1:5
What Is Your Schedule Telling You?
Most days, my to-do list doesn’t match the amount of time I’ve allotted to complete it. If you were to peek into my planner, it would quickly become apparent that I believe I’m an exception to the “everyone has only twenty-four hours in a day” rule.
Take yesterday, for example. I was like a ping-pong ball, bouncing from one activity to the next. By nighttime, I was exhausted, beat, kaput. And still, after all the striving, all the coffee consumed, all the pep talks I’d given myself to just keep going, I ended the day with unfinished items on my to-do list. The humbling reality is that like everyone else, I only have twenty-four hours in a day.
But these impossible standards are not put there by God, as if he were tapping his foot, waiting on us to complete our impossible agenda. He knows our limitations. He knows we are human. And when we surrender our schedules to him and commit to doing all that is before us for his glory, he shows us his priorities so we can order our day in a way that leaves us fulfilled rather than exhausted.
No matter your background, location, ambitions, or vocation, every human experiences the same limitation each day: time—twenty-four hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds, to be exact. Even Jesus, the Son of God, experienced the constraints of time while on earth.
The Gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—describe how Jesus spent his time through firsthand accounts of his ministry. He proclaimed the gospel of the Kingdom of God, healed those with physical limitations, stopped mid-journey to talk to outcasts, ate supper with sinners, made breakfast with his disciples, and even took naps.
Jesus is our best role model when it comes to time management. His life sheds light on how we can live with eternal vision and a gospel-centered mission.
If you were to dissect the way you spend your time, would it line up with the example set by Jesus?
We might say we don’t have time to read the Bible, but our phone’s screen time tracker tells us otherwise.
We might say we can’t memorize Scripture, but the number of songs and quotes we can retrieve from the recesses of our brain disproves this.
We might say we can’t focus during prayer, but our tendency to worry and ruminate reveals our ability to think about one thing, even while doing another task.
The truth is, the way we spend our time reveals what we treasure most (see Matthew 6:21). Jesus’ number-one priority was to accomplish the work his Father sent him to do, and this informed the way he spent his time. God created us to live within the boundaries of time, and he gives us the exact amount of time we need to accomplish what he has called us to do.
The same God who took on flesh not only understands the constraints of time but also grants us the wisdom, through his Word, to guide us as we make decisions about how we use the minutes we’ve been given (see James 1:5).
Your life is always preaching a sermon about what your heart treasures most. What sermon will your schedule preach today?