Welcome to the Fim Minute podcast. This is Nancy Wilson. Thanks so much for joining me today.

We just finished our summer Bible reading challenge, reading through the New Testament.

And September 1st, we began our yearly trek through the whole Bible, starting with Genesis.

So I thought it was a great time to remind you all why we keep doing this.

So consider this a pep talk.

Even though many of you don't need it, you have been plugging along reading the word daily for years.

Well done. Keep at it.

One of the things the Bible reading challenge does is close

the summer's reading and then the year's reading was Psalm 119. This Psalm reminds us, teaches this again,

how central God's word is to all our life. And no matter how many years we have been reading,

it's always good to be reminded of what

this Bible reading is for. What does the Bible say about the Bible? So many things. Here are just a few.

The Bible is food for the believer. It nourishes and strengthens us. It equips us for all circumstances.

It gives us God's perspective on us.

It lays out our purpose. It gives us hope and transforms us. There's nothing else like it in the world.

So as Christian women, we were to be Bible-centered. The Bible is a map.

Showing us where to go. It is also a code of conduct, guiding us through

all of life. There's no area where the Bible does not apply. It is a supernatural book, after all,

a powerful force in so many ways that we cannot possibly understand all the ways in which God's word strengthens,

blesses, and guides us. In Psalm 119, the phrase, according to your word, occurs many times.

In just the opening verses of this lengthy Psalm, the psalmist prays that God will strengthen,

revive, comfort, uphold, be merciful to, give him understanding,

...