Heard that one before, moving on! Ever feel this way reading bible verses connected to Christmas? No judgment here ‘cuz I confess I’ve been there myself. 

Reading and studying God’s Word can be like unwrapping a gift each time you read it. You don’t have to read a whole chapter or book each day to connect with God. Some days, a little present of ONE verse can pack a life-changing gift. Try it right now with Luke 2:11, “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Take a moment to reread that verse at least three times, out loud is the best for me to dive deep. What stands out to you?

Another way to dive deep into scripture that starts to feel a little too familiar, and you feel yourself going through the motions, is to examine a few verses like you would Christmas lights. When you admire Christmas lights, you probably slow down and look at the lights from different angles of the light. Do the same while reading Matthew 1:23, “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Think of each person involved in this verse: Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. What do you think they were thinking or feeling? How does this verse make you feel?

A final way to study scripture that starts to sound like ‘white noise’ is to think of the verse as lyrics to a Christmas song! Your favorite Christmas song probably has a few versions out there, and some musicians/artists may have even changed the lyrics a bit in their rendition. While reading Luke 2:8-14, try to do the same by reading the verses in two to three different Bible translations. What words were different between translations? What new meaning did a different word choice add? Which translation spoke to you more today?

Bonus: these 3 ways to read scripture will not only help you on verses that have become somewhat familiar, it is a great strategy for when scripture is hard to understand, so snag them here:

• 🎁Unwrap It: Read a short verse three times out loud. What stands out to you?
• 💡Light It Up: Read a short verse and look at it from different angles or perspectives. Who are the people involved, and how do they feel at this moment? How does this verse make me feel?
• 🎶Sing It: Reading verse(s) in two to three different translations. What words were different between translations? What new meaning did a different word choice add? Which translation spoke to you more today?

December can be loud and busy. A short time in a verse or short verses can make a huge difference in your day but more importantly it will grow your relationship with God.

See ya in the next post, with

✝️Lots of Faith & Lil’ Bit of Fur 🐾