Day 1: An Invitation

There is a trend in women’s Bible studies that I have noticed over the last several years. Many approach God’s Word for what it can offer by way of comfort, inspiration, or consolation. While the Word of God certainly holds forth all of these things, there’s a tinge of self-interest embedded within this trend that concerns me (and, if you’re reading this, it probably concerns you, too). As self-righteous as I want to be, it’s a trend that is as true of my own heart as it is of the studies themselves.

Lent, the season leading up to Easter, is a time in the church calendar for giving up a convenience and taking up a holy habit. Many people fast from dessert or give up social media while taking up the habit of daily prayer or supporting a missionary. All of this is good, but I want to do something a little different this Easter. I want to give up coming to God’s Word for what it offers me emotionally, and I want to take up looking to God’s Word for what it teaches me about God’s character. I don’t know about you, but I need a fast from self-importance, one that seems it will only be found by fully turning my attention to our God, meeting Him in His Word, and relishing Him for who He is. I want to love God with all my heart and with all of my mind. I want to dig into God’s Word, connect theological dots, and praise Him in response.

Can we do it together?

Here is the invitation I want to extend to you: join me in looking at Jesus. Join me in looking at the prophecies that proclaimed who the Messiah would be, what He would do, and how He would accomplish the salvation of the world. Join me in taking our eyes off of ourselves and studying and delighting in our Messiah – the Messiah who fulfilled every prophecy of the Old Testament and every promise of God, just as He said He would.

Over the next thirty days we are going to do the hard work of tuning our ears to the Text, noting the many ways Jesus faithfully kept His promises. We are going to come to the Text as students studying the seemingly minute details that our God thought important enough to weave into His Word. Over the next thirty days, we are going to fix our eyes on the detailed way the Word of God, Jesus, fulfilled the words of God in the Old Testament. We are going to walk slowly, perhaps even painfully, through the Passion narrative and take note of all the ways Jesus fulfilled the prophecies concerning the Messiah.

Would you join me? Would you commit to walking through thirty days of Christ-centered study and worship?

Each day we will look at a prophecy concerning the Messiah, and at the way Jesus fulfilled that prophecy in His death and resurrection. There is space on each page for you to document the prophecy that Jesus fulfilled, and space for you to answer the most important question in our study: what does this teach me about the character of God. Sisters, do not be deceived: you do not need Word of God to speak to you about you as much as you need the Word of God to speak to you about God Himself. So, commit with me to fixing your eyes on His character and to worshiping Him for who He is. I cannot promise you it will always be easy, but I can promise you this: He will not disappoint.

Download your PDF Devotional here: Easter Readings 2017 by Amy Gannett.