Ever have one of those mini-vacations where you take a couple days to sit by the hotel pool, or enjoy a stay on a houseboat or spend a few days in the mountains? But when you come back to the everyday routine, you find that the sense of relaxation and rest is gone? That’s because you got away for a temporary fix. To keep from running on empty, you need a lasting one.

What if I told you that you have already access to a permanent stress reliever any time that you need it? Psalm 19 says that God’s Word is “perfect, reviving the soul.” It is  “trustworthy, making wise the simple.” It is “right, giving joy to the heart.” And God’s commands are “radiant, giving light to the eyes” (verses 7-8).  If there was something available to you that revives you, gives you wisdom, brings joy to your heart, and brightens your eyes, all in one package or pill, wouldn’t you want to get a hold of it and take it on a daily basis?  And yet, God’s Word contains all that — revival, wisdom, joy and enlightenment — working like a daily dose of vitamins for the mind, body and soul.

In Second Timothy 3:16, we’re told that all Scripture is “God-breathed.”  Think about that: Reading the Bible is like getting a breath of fresh air from the Living God! It’s like getting a second wind – from God – that teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us and trains us in righteousness, so that we can be – drained? No, so that we can be “thoroughly equipped” for every good work. Now, that is fuel!

In The Message, that verse reads like this: “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed  and useful one way or another – showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”

Did you catch that? Through God’s Word we are put together and shaped up, (in other words: fixed up, wound up and restored) for the tasks He has for us.

Here are some ways to get into God’s Word and “refuel”:

• Read through Proverbs, taking one Proverb for every day of the month. For added benefit, summarize a proverb in a statement to refuel you through the day.
• Read and pray through a Psalm each day. Prayerfully rewrite it in your own words as a prayer to God. Fill up an entire blank book journal this way.
• Start reading through one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke or John – and take note of what Jesus did to refuel, refresh and keep going. Be sure to record your observations and thoughts.

Are you ready to try it? Get into God’s Word and refuel and see the difference it makes in your life. And then let me know how His Word is pouring fuel and fervor back into YOUR life. I’d love to hear about it.