When Scripture Comes Alive

Audio By Carbonatix

There have been seasons in my life when my Bible sat unopened longer than I care to admit. Maybe you’ve had those seasons, too?

The newborn days when sleep is measured in minutes and coffee becomes a food group. The ministry seasons when you pour out and pour out… until you realize you haven’t refilled your own cup in days. Or the caregiving years—like when my sweet grandma lived with us and I would sneak away to read Scripture in the bathroom because that was the only quiet moment I got. 

Yes, those seasons. And yet—every time I returned to Scripture, even with tired eyes and a scattered mind—God met me there. Not because I came perfectly, but because He is faithful.

I’ve learned that understanding the Bible doesn’t come from having more time or more theology degrees. It comes from showing up and letting God speak, one small moment at a time.

Here are the rhythms that have carried me through busy motherhood, caregiving, writing deadlines, and everything in between:

1. Ask the Author for Help

Years ago, when I had three little ones under the age of five, I’d wake up early, open my Bible… and immediately hear crying upstairs. I remember one morning whispering, “Lord, I can’t do this. I need Your help.” And I felt the Holy Spirit answer, not in a loud voice, but in a gentle reminder: You’re not doing this alone.

That simple prayer before I read— Holy Spirit, teach me— has become my oxygen. Understanding Scripture isn’t about us being smart enough. It’s about inviting the Author to sit beside us.

2. Come With Curiosity, Not Guilt

For years, guilt followed me like a shadow: If I miss a day, I’m behind. If I forget my reading plan, I’ve failed. Then one day, while feed a baby and helping a teen with math and editing a manuscript all at once (yes, that was real life!), I opened my Bible randomly to Psalms.

I wasn’t “caught up.” I wasn’t following a plan. But I was hungry.

And there it was.

Psalm 63:1 in the NLT: “I earnestly search for You; my soul thirsts for You.” 

That day, I realized something freeing: God doesn’t meet us because we checked all the boxes. He meets us because we come hungry.

3. Watch for God’s Character

When my kids were younger, we went through a season where everything felt like a battle—schooling, emotions, laundry, life. During one particularly exhausting week, I was reading through the book of Exodus. I expected more rules and battles, and wilderness frustration.

Instead, I saw it: A God who rescued, provided manna, led with light, spoke tenderly, and stayed close even when His people were stubborn and tired.

It felt like God whispered, “This is who I am for you, too.” That day changed how I read Scripture.

Before asking, “What does this say about me?” I began asking, “What does this tell me about Him?” The Bible becomes richer when we look not for information, but for relationship.

4. Capture What God Speaks

I keep stacks of journals—messy ones, tea-stained ones, ones scribbled with prayers from when my teens tested every ounce of patience in me, and ones full of gratitude as I watched them grow.

One journal from years ago has a simple line written on a hard day: “Lord, make me gentle today. My kids don’t need a perfect mom. They need a present one.” That came after reading Galatians 5 and looking at the fruit of the Spirit—especially gentleness. 

Journaling isn’t about perfection. It’s about remembering. Because ink remembers what the heart forgets.

5. Read in Community

Some of the best Bible moments have happened around crowded tables—kids giggling, teens rolling their eyes, dinner dishes stacked in the sink. I’ve had deep, holy conversations in the most ordinary moments: after youth group pickup while folding laundry  on the couch with a child who asks, “Mom, does God really hear me when I’m scared?”

When we talk about God’s Word together, hearts soften. Faith multiplies.

The Bible was never meant to be understood alone. It’s a family Book, a friendship Book, a church Book. God speaks in community in ways He seldom does in isolation.

A Final Thought

Friend, if you feel behind, you’re not. If you feel unqualified, you’re the perfect candidate. If your Bible has tear stains or sticky toddler fingerprints, you’re in good company. This walk with God is not about perfection. This walk is about drawing closer and closer to Jesus. 

So come tired. Come joyful. Come curious. Come thirsty. Just come.

Because the God who wrote the Word is the same God who holds you as you read it. The Bible isn’t simply a text to study— it’s a love story to live.

I’d love to hear:

What Scripture has encouraged you most lately?
Drop it in the comments — your verse might be the exact one another mama needs today. 💛

Additional Resources

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4. Want to know more about Walking out God’s Word? You’re not alone.

More of my story in my book Walk It Out (find it here).