I am not sure how you first came to know Jesus Christ. You may have first heard Him speak to you at an evangelism crusade or perhaps you sensed His immediate comforting presence during a certain extraordinary life experience. I have friends who have witnessed miraculous moments with Jesus Christ and I even have friends who have heard Him speak to them in their dreams. For reasons unknown to me, the Lord has never chosen to communicate with me through these sorts of experiential avenues. And I, in the past, have become a tad envious of those who have experienced God in these phenomenal ways. Please don’t read me wrong, Siestas. I am not questioning if God really does communicate with human beings in these miraculous ways, I ABSOLUTELY believe that He does. I am just saying that I myself have yet to experience Jesus Christ like this.
In brief, I was raised in a Christian home. Yes, I was raised by a woman who I like to call “the- Titus- woman- from-you-know-where” (but I say the word). I heard about Jesus Christ every single day. I was encouraged, if not enforced, to do a “quiet time” at a very early age. And I am so glad that I was but it remained vital for me to actually experience God for myself. So, in High School I began to question if I really “knew” Jesus. It wasn’t that I was living in a bunch of sin at that particular time; it was simply that I did not feel very connected to Him. I didn’t feel in my heart that He communicated with me.
So I called to mind a very basic verse in Matthew that says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7). I certainly hadn’t had any exegetical training at that point, but I figured that what this verse meant was that the Lord would communicate with me if I truly sought His face. So I said to the Lord in my teenage heart, “Okay, Lord, I am going to spend the next few months seeking your face with all of my heart and then if I don’t sense your presence, then I really am done with all of this Christianity.”
So what I had intended to be a few months of seeking God through rigorously reading the Bible has become a lifetime passion for me. Yes, even more than cooking. What I found when I read the biblical text was something other-worldly. To me the biblical text was self-testifying. It simply spoke up for itself. I didn’t have to defend it or try to make it sound true, I simply read it and knew it was truth. This skeptic’s heart began to melt like butter. My mind had never been so stimulated, my heart had never been more encouraged, and my own worldly intentions had never been so thwarted. When I read through the pages of the Bible, the Holy Spirit testified to my spirit that I was a child of God. And even today, dear Siestas, when I distance myself from reading the biblical text, I feel my mind beginning to drift. I feel my heart slowly harden and I feel more prone to depression and despair. And not surprisingly so, I begin to feel more intoxicated by the pleasures of the world around me. It is like John Bunyan said, “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book”.
One thing that my research of the Book of Esther has taught me is the significance of intentional remembrance. I have purposefully been bringing back to mind my first experiences of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what I remember most: I came to know Jesus Christ when I took the time to read the actual content of the Bible for myself. This is why I have devoted my life to a shameless study of the biblical text. This is why I work for Living Proof Ministries, because we exist to exalt the power of God through the biblical text. We exist to loudly proclaim that “the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
I have been reminded afresh of the wonder of the Scriptures. I have found what my Mom said all of those years to be true. I have found that indeed, “there is no other book like it”. When you sit on your couch with your Bible in your lap, you are a witness to a miracle. This miracle is called Divine Revelation. And the miracle of divine revelation is not a “lesser miracle”; it is not merely what the rest of us “get” by default because the Lord doesn’t have to time to appear in another one of our dreams. There is no greater phenomenon than an almighty and holy God speaking to and through humankind. God has chosen to speak to you, dear Siesta, and to reveal to you the mysteries of salvation history: the knowledge of his glorious Son. Take a minute today to behold the miracle of the written word of God…take a minute to read the very best of all books. Behold and then tell of His glory.
I love you, Siestas, and wish sometime soon we could all have an old fashioned “pot-luck” around a massive round table together.
Melissa
Melissa, I don’t know if you agree or if anyone has said this, but I think you have the same gift of communication as your mom. I LOVE the way she writes and speaks and I loved what you wrote today, amen! I have a new baby and my girlfriends all BLOG. I can’t seem to find the time to learn how to set one up so they can keep up with our lives. Then here I find out that the Titus-woman-from-heaven, haha, has time to blog? I need to get with the program! God bless, Heather G. Charlotte NC
Amen and amen! I have already shared your post with several people who needed to hear these words. I am in awe of the power of the Word! Thank you.
Amen Siesta! There’s a Divine revelation just waiting for me to pick up my Bible. Your Mom’s comment is so encouraging for me to hear because I have one of those strong willed children!
AMEN
well, Beth and Melissa what you wrote about your Melissa is encouraging to me though I am not a parent, it is still encouraging. There is hope for all, for all for all that seek Him with the whole heart, that will ask again and again and again and again. And He knows us like the Psalm 139. Sitting down, raising up. His thoughts toward me are numerous…oh my! I do under estimate His GREAT LOVE FOR ME! NOTHING I CAN DO, NOTHING I CAN DO, NOTHING I CAN DO TO EARN THIS.
Allison
Melissa,
That was so powerful I had to copy and paste it to my kids’ emails.
Thanks for sharing your heart and your recipes. (I love the Pastry Queen too!)
All glory to the One who alone is worthy!!!
Vicki
This post was a real blessing. Thanks. I had just read that quote in Howard Hendrick’s book, Living By the Book. The online quotation web site said it was from D.L. Moody, but I don’t know for sure. Does anyone know for sure? The quote I am referring to is, “This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.”
Anonymous,
Howard Hendricks does comment that someone wrote “this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book” on the fly-leaf of his Bible. Both D.L. Moody and John Bunyan are quoted as referencing these words. I quoted John Bunyan because he supposedly had these words written in his Bible in the 17th century and D.L. Moody lived in the 19th century. At the end of the day, who knows?
All I know, is that the words ring true in my own life…
Thank you so much for your testimony, Melissa. I am so excited that you are progressing in leaps and bounds in your service to the Lord. What a gift of writing you’ve been given! And what a blessing to have a mom who knew the Lord and the Word so well! And you are so right, the Word of God is living and active! When I suffered with depression and panic, it was the Word of God that divided my soul (my mixed-up mind and emotions) from my spirit (my inner man that recognized the Truth when it heard it). I’m so thankful God led me to your mom’s Believing God Bible study back in 2004 where I first learned of Hebrews 4:12. I had prayed for God’s help and a few days later a friend invited me to go with her to do the study at my church. I had not been to church in 2 years. But I knew this was a God-thing. It was there I learned who my God was and what He could do and who I was in Christ and what I could believe and count on in His Word. It was the beginning of my recovery.I latched onto the Truth (expressed so lovingly and completely in that study–thank you, Beth–it was as though God were speaking directly to me)and after doing homework for 3 weeks, I experienced peace in a way I had thought was lost to me. By following Beth’s teachings and suggestions for a daily encounter with God, I grew closer to Jesus and in my faith. I am still clinging to the Word and to Jesus to this day. Glory to God!
I think we tend to make things more complicated. It’s just that simple, read, pour over, meditate, study God’s word. May He be forever glorified!
Theresa
Thank you, Melissa, for sharing.
I find God so real to me when I am doing a study (usually one of your moms) and then something else I read confirms it and then someone shares something that is reminiscent of both. I love how God does that! Right now, I am doing “A Woman’s Heart, God’s Dwelling Place” (the revised version)and reading “The Shack” and then your post. It is amazing how much they relate. Of course – God is relational! It’s God’s stunning affectability!
Blessings! Love!
Hey friends,
By this time many, if not most, of you have probably stopped reading comments from this post. But I wanted to offer something. After hearing the hearts of so many wanting to be more disciplined in reading the Word, knowing that the Word IS powerful and life giving and everything we have EVER thought it to be, I want to say that divine revelation IS for you. And you don’t need to “go through” anyone else to get it.
I struggled too for a long time with even wanting to be in the Word. Once I was there, I found it to be wonderful but often times I didn’t know where to start or “how to” get what I was looking for.
Well, I want to offer anyone something I have written to maybe help you as you seek to know HIM more. I wrote/designed/whatever a pretty simple Bible study TOOL that could be just a catalyst for something more with Jesus through the Word. It’s the way that I went from not knowing what in the world to do with an open Bible to WOW, His Word IS amazing! Making me want more of it. If you’re interested, email me and I can send it to you in a Word file.
[email protected]
So very true, Melissa. The scriptures became alive to me when speaking them out loud over my fearful child allowed her to fall asleep peacefully.
Thank you for this poignant reminder.
Robyn
Truth sister! God’s Word has absolutely served as divine intervention in my life. My heart aches for others to know this for themselves! Current favorite verse-Jeremiah 23:29 Does not my Word burn like fire says the LORD is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces! I am so with you on missing it when i have not put it first in my life. I know we are not under the law, i know there is no condemnation, i know there is grace but nothing satisfies my everything like His Word! Thank You LORD!
P.S. I’ll bring the spinach & artichoke dip!
Thank you, I don’t think I ever heard, so clearly.
Melissa,
Thank you for the awesome post.
I grew up in a Christian home….a preacher’s kid. I’ve never not known about God and His love for me. I remember being 14 years old and getting a Living Bible for Christmas. I read, underlined & highlighted Scripture all through that Bible. I was into my 40’s when I first heard of your mom and I attended my first LPM conference and then began doing her Bible studies. Her enthusiasm and genuine love for the Lord caused me to want something I didn’t have – a heart to heart relationship with Him.
I loved Him always and I read my Bible and prayed, but your mom had something that was so inviting. Her teaching has impacted my life in a dramatic way.
I am so pleased that you are a part of LPM and are helping research and write the studies with your mom. What a blessing you, Amanda and Keith are to her.
Thank you for everything. Our group can’t wait until Esther.
Love & blessing to you and your family,
Valerie
Thanks for this post, Melissa! I really needed to hear this.
I do have a quick question. Is the “Lit – A passion for Scripture” study in Houston this fall going to just be for the church or is it going to turn into a Bible study for the rest of us? ;o) I would love to go to it, however, I live in NC so would not be able to. :o) Just wondering….
Have a blessed day!
Summer
[email protected]
Oh to have had a mother who knew the word and ENCOURAGED you to know it also! That is the most wonderful gift to give a child…Your eternal life with Christ! I found the LORD during a major crises at age sixteen and I heard Him say, “I am with you always!” Praise God, He heard my plea and saved me from self destruction.
Thank you so much for the reminder and encouragement! I must go read!
Just what I and my 17-year-old daughter needed. I’ve printed it off for her to read. I want so much for her to experience Jesus Christ for herself.
Thank You so much for your words of encouragement-that is exactly what I needed to hear. I have such a struggle with believing that I am saved and just believing the whole Christian thing all together. I have good days where I am walking and believing in my faith in Jesus and then there are those other days where I am just confused for a living! But after reading your blog I have come to realize that reading the Bible is good but if I do not apply it to my life, then what exactly is the point. I need to remember that the Word is not only for everyone else but for little old me as well-Thank you and God Bless!
One thing that radically changed my life was hearing Beth Moore say “God can change your want to”. At the time I loved God but there were areas of my life I didn’t want to change. When I began to pray for God to change my “want to” and to give me a passion for Him and His word my life was transformed. Not overnight but over a course of time He has (and still is)defining the desires of my heart. This is what I tell my kids when they don’t desire obedience, “Ask God to change your desires!” If they will do that He will fill them with a passion that will blow them away! I know, it happened to me!!!
Thank you for this ministry (and your testimony) it such an encouragement….
I was talking about the good word from Melissa’s to some friends and wanted to make clear, in light of my previous comment, that the Bible IS the truth and everything has to be looked at in the light of whether it lines up with Scripture for it to be truth.
(Dreams included!) I wasn’t trying to prophesy (I had been thinking and talking to a friend about what Bible studies to do in the fall and our excitement for Esther) which can account for my dream. :~)Just thought it was humerous that that morning there was the insightful blog from Melissa. I, with a multitude of others, love Beth and her studies and are blessed by the insights by both her delightful daughters. Sorry if my attempt at humor offended anyone!!
Melissa –
You’re so cool!
Your Mama did alright…
God Bless,
M
Melissa I loved your post. It is so funny how God speaks differently to all of us. I am the opposite from you. I have always had a hard time with Bible study. My mind wanders, I never know exactly what God is saying. I really have to be led and taught to see and hear God through scripture. He uses my minister and has used your mom to teach me and help me with scripture, but I get lost when I’m studying alone.
However, whenever I need a hug or His closenss if I ask in prayer, God is so quick to blanket me with His presence. He whispers to me that He is with me and that He loves me. I can hear Him smiling, if that makes any sense at all. I am truly fortunate in this regard. I love having the gift of a tuned ear to His soft voice.
We should make a pack… I’ll work on hearing Him through scripture and you work on tuning your ear to His voice. Deal? – Marla
and what a potluck that will be when “man at table will sit down”
Melissa,
What a wonderful post! I have found that the more time I spend with God, the more I “hear” him.
Thank you for sharing. You are such a blessing to so many of us with your honesty!
Laurie in TN
Beth;
Robert Morris said, “You never fail a test with God. You just keep taking it over and over again until you pass it.”
I cannot seem to pass the test of “How To Deal With People Who Want Me To Be Their BFF (Best Friends Forever).”
I have friends that as I encourage them they become more and more clingy and needy. It’s happen to me repeatedly. I’m trying to set boundaries, but have not been very successful (without hurting their feelings).
How does one tell another to “back off” lovingly?
If you feel led, could you address this in your blog. I KNOW this must happen to you all the time.
God Bless.
Marla, the anonymous poster, third from the bottom…email me. I might be able to help you out with learning how to be alone with God. I’ve written a “tool” for this very thing.
Elaine
[email protected]
Yes, a potluck would be wonderful. You could bring that yummy-looking fruit tart.
I’ve been a Christian a long time, but when I first started to read the Bible every day (only a year-and-a-half ago) something from the Word just jumped out at me every time I picked it up. It was like I had never heard any of it before. I had prayed for God to give me a passion for it and to crave that time and boy did He.
I’m grateful for the passion you share about our Lord.
Am totally holding you to the pot-luck round table.
Sweet Melissa…you add a wonderful voice to the already powerful voices of your mom and sister.
Hugs…
Thanks Melissa! I want to share your post with my girls. Sometime soon we will all have an old fashioned “pot-luck” around a massive round table together. The most wonderful “pot-luck” of all. I don’t know if “pot-luck” is the word I should use for the precious wedding supper of the Lamb. I feel in my heart that this event is coming very soon. I can’t wait!
You sound just like your Mommy!! 🙂
I just love you Moore Gals, y’all such encouragement and inspiring to us women!
Blessings!
Amen! It is so easy to slip in the comfort zone of feasting off of someone else’s relationship with God. It takes the diligent work of being quiet before God away and gives us the instant gratification of just cruising through someone else’s journey. I’ve come to realise that what are meant to be tools to help me in my understanding of the Word, sometimes overshadow the time I spend in his Word. God showed me that I am sometimes so busy learning and growing and thinking I am spending time with Him, while indeed I’m busy envying the Divine revelation in someone else’s life. Praise God that the Revelation you spoke of is not just for the select few, but for all who have his Spirit and are willing to be still and listen.
thank you for this melissa..you are a treasure to us all. your grace, humility, honesty, and wisdom are reflected in every word you write.
hugs from nashville 🙂
Thank you for the encouragement. I frequently get away from my quiet time and wish I didn’t. Everything is so much better when I’m in the Word. Having three young children and schedules sometimes changing makes it hard, but I still don’t understand why I can’t be consistent. I appreciate you posting this, it really lit a fire!
I don’t know if it is too late to comment, but I just found a free website that teaches Greek!!! It is inthebeginning.org. I love it when Beth let’s us in on the greek definitions. It gives us a deeper understanding of what the author of the book meant. Boy am I in for a lot of work!
Melissa, I just loved reading this. It is exactly what I have found God’s Word to be. It never changes but it is constantly revealing something new to me.
What a blessing. I feel so full of what God has taught me this past weekend through this entire ministry. God’s blessings to all…
Crying! Awesome! Thank you
Thanks, Melissa, I needed to hear that today.
Thanks for sharing this. 🙂 Reminds me a bit of my own childhood/teenage experiences. 🙂
I’m amazed at how beautifully you put this encouragement, Melissa. It hits right to my core as a Titus woman in the making, trying to raise two willful creatures of her own.
To see how God blesses so abundantly! OH MY DEAR GOD how I raise my hands to Him alone and beg Him to raise my girls through this rag doll. I’m gonna print this and put it in my haven place with other things I keep next to my Bibles. Blessings, blessings, blessings to you and yours!
Hey Melissa – thank you for letting us into just a bit more of your personal history with Christ!! I love that!! We love to hear from all the Moore’s. Thanks again and be blessed. if you don’t mind, please be praying for my 6 year old – we are going through testing… thanks, Leigh
mmf mucho thanks ant sueC
Melissa, I loved this. Not only is it beautifully written, but beautiful to hear what God has done in your life and the things He has shown you about His Word. I pray my children will experience Christ like this, too! I loved reading your mom’s comment, too; what an encouragement to believe and press on. It’s so exciting to see what God is doing in your life, and I’m thrilled to watch. You are a special woman of God — I know of no one like you! Blessings to you this day… we miss seeing you!
Melissa,
I know I’m a few days late on posting this, and do hope you’ll still see it.
This post from you was so timely. I read it on the eve of our ladies retreat, and the Lord just kept bringing your words back to my mind over and over throughout the weekend.
We had women of all denominations there, and of all levels of understanding of God and His Word.
I’m not adequately expressing how God used this post to encourage and equip me, and maybe it’s just beyond expressing well.
Please just know that He used you as a huge blessing in my life.
You were so ON IT!
Love,
Jes
Wow. Melissa, your entry spoke to my heart. I also grew up in a Christian home and going to church and church events all of the time. However, there came a point when I had to discover the wonder of God’s divine revelation on my own. The Lord has brought me through so much and reading His Word & communicating with Him brings true comfort and can carry us through anything!
Amen! Amen! Amen!
I read this post a while back and I have thought about if often. I am a christian and have been since an early age. One thing that I have always struggled with is having a consistent quiet time. One of the things you mentioned is that you had a quiet time at an early age. I have 3 girls ages 3-8 I would love to be able to start them at this early age with having quiet time so that hopefully when they are adults they won’t struggle with this like I do. My question is how did you get started with this. Was there a certain time a day your mom would have you girls sit down and have quiet time. What do you suggest I start with them reading? We do have family devotions together 1-2 times a week. We are better at being consistent with that during the school year than during the summer when we all have no routine to our schedule. If you get a chance I would love to hear your thoughts. You can email me at
[email protected]
Thank you!