24th - 30th November 2025
I have been an Agatha Christie fanatic since the age of 12 when my middle school English teacher handed me a copy of And Then There Were None. As I went on to study English and Creative Writing at university, I fell in love with other more “literary” writers, but I never lost my deep love for all things Christie. Knowing this about me, imagine if I walked into Glenabbey one day and the friendly greeter at the door said this to me:
“Dame Agatha Christie herself is sitting in Venue 1 right now! No one is with her, she’s completely alone. She’s not in any rush, she’s happy to sit with you for as long as you’d like, and chat about her work or anything else on your mind. In fact, she knows your name, knows all about you, knows that you enjoy writing—she’s actually read some of your work!—and she’s really looking forward to talking to you. She came here specifically for you.
“Or, if you’d prefer, in the Warehouse, you’ll find a social media influencer with a big following across a number of platforms. She’s read a few of Agatha Christie’s mysteries and is doing a talk about her thoughts on them. There’s a really big crowd in there listening to her. She doesn’t know you, hasn’t heard anything about you, isn’t here to speak to you personally but to address the wider audience. She doesn’t really care about you at all, she just wants to talk about her opinions of Agatha Christie. Also, her time is very limited, she only has an hour to spare before she heads on to her next engagement.”
The greeter at the door tells me, “The choice is yours!” Would I be at all tempted to pass up a private and personal encounter with the author I love in favour of a brief talk from a third party who knows a little bit about her?
My Bible is sitting beside me as I write this, and I’m conscious of the fact that I didn’t have a chance to read it at all last week. The Word of God sat unopened all week long as I ran here and there with my kids, met up with friends, folded laundry, hoovered, watched TV, etc. How often do I pass up on a private and personal encounter with the Author of the universe in favour of lesser, worldly occupations and concerns? Why do I find it easier to hide in the crowded Warehouse of vaguely Christian podcasts, articles, and social media posts? There is nothing wrong, per se, with any of these things—they can point us to Christ and reveal aspects of God’s Word that we might not otherwise have noticed ourselves. But God has spoken to me thoroughly, profoundly, intimately, and completely in His Word and yet, I so often choose the world’s voice over His, claiming that I don’t have time or energy to listen to Him.
Paul writes to Timothy that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The words in this book sitting beside me—or on the app in my phone—were breathed into existence by the Holy Spirit, they are living and eternal (1 Peter 1:24-25), applicable to every situation. In these pages, I can find comfort, wisdom, sustenance, conviction, encouragement, and the list goes on. According to Paul, abiding in God’s Word is how I will be made “complete”, ready for the good works prepared in advance for me by God Himself.
As I look ahead to the beginning of a fresh Advent season, I’m convicted that I would like to slow down and spend more time in God’s Word. Somehow, through the mystery of the Trinity, this Word is Jesus Christ Himself, the one who bore the humiliation of humanity to rescue me from my sin. God has sent out this Word to the ends of the Earth to bring healing, salvation, and rebirth to His children (Psalm 107:20, 1 Peter 1:23). And yet, this "Word made flesh” also takes my hand and, by His Spirit, draws my distracted, rebellious, troubled heart to Him. He walks beside me again as He once did in Eden, and He invites me to come first to Him with my anxieties, worries, confusion, and shame, instead of running to worldly resources. He is the Author waiting in Venue 1, interested in an intimate relationship with me that can only flourish through His Word and Spirit. I want to ask Him this week to reawaken my love for Scripture and to help me prioritise time spent with Him as we reflect together on some of the benefits freely offered in His Word.
Written by Corrie Johnston
MONDAY
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.” Psalm 19:7
“It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.”
1 Peter 2:2
Father, you have promised that when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be filled. We do feel a deep longing for something more than what the empty promises of the world can offer us. Scripture offers us the refreshment and sustenance our spirits so desperately need. We can come to the well of your Word and be eternally satisfied. Spirit, we ask you to help us long for our Father’s voice, for a greater knowledge of Him and a deeper relationship with Him. Amen.
TUESDAY
“Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” Psalm 119:49-50
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
Jesus, our walk with you often feels plagued by our weariness and sadness. We are moving at a slow pace, weighed down by the heavy burdens of this fallen world. But you are no stranger to grief and pain. There could be no heavier burden than the cross you carried on your walk to Golgotha, or the weight of our sin upon your shoulders as you hung on that cross. You offer deep and effective comfort in your Word because you understand suffering better than we ever could ourselves. In your Scripture, we find the words to bind our wounds and heal our broken hearts. We find a true and solid hope for a future free from suffering in your Kingdom. How can we thank you, Jesus, for taking the burden of our sin onto yourself? Help us to run to you in our grief, to trust in your promises, and to look to you for the encouragement we need to endure the race you have set before us. In your name, Amen.
WEDNESDAY
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:105, 130
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright.” Proverbs 2:6-7
Father, we confess that we are so often confused and easily led astray by the teaching of the world. We want to follow you and be more like your Son, but we don’t know how you want us to live in this sinful world. Thank you for giving us your Word! You haven’t asked us to stumble along in the dark, you have given us a light for our path. Help us to seek the wisdom we can find in you, to build our houses upon solid rock—your words, on which we can build deep and lasting foundations that won’t be shaken by the changing tides of the world around us. Amen.
THURSDAY
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
Father, I confess that sometimes I avoid relationship with you because I’m afraid of what your Word might reveal in my heart. What thoughts and intentions am I holding onto within myself that I need your Spirit to put to death? As I study your Word, will you help me to hear your Spirit’s conviction and to confess my sins before you with honesty and humility? Help me to open my heart up to you like the psalmist, David, who asked you to search and try him and to know him. Thank you for your gentle guidance and redirection, and your endless patience with my wandering heart. Amen.
FRIDAY
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:9-11
“and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17
Jesus, when we haven’t spent enough time rooted in your Word, we begin to hear the lies of the Devil in our ear—he loves to twist your words and use them against us. But you are no stranger to temptation, since you yourself were tempted while you walked this Earth. Help us to shelter in the safety of your Word, just as you did when Satan spoke to you. Help us to hide your Word in our hearts so that we can have a certain answer to his accusations. Grow in us a love for your Word so that we can guard our hearts with the Spirit’s sword. In Your name, Amen.
SATURDAY
“The sum of your word is truth and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
Psalm 119:160
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31-32
Jesus, our world can be such a confusing and deceitful place! We hear and see so many false messages wrapped up in attractive packaging and it can be hard to know what is true. But you have said you are Truth itself—your Word never changes and your promises are eternal. When we are rooted deeply in your Word, we are set free from the lies of the world, false promises that can never satisfy or save us. Thank you for giving us a solid anchor for our souls! In your name, Amen.
SUNDAY
“‘For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.’” Isaiah 55:10-11
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31
Father, we have reflected this week on the many personal benefits that come from being rooted deeply in Your Word, but we don’t want to remain only inward-looking. You have also given us the outward calling of sharing your gospel with the world around us. But how gracious you have been not to leave us on our own in this mission! What an amazing truth it is that there is real power in your Word! We don’t need to have fancy theological arguments or compelling personal stories to reach the lost—you have sent us your Word and you have promised that it will not return empty. Help us to be so filled with your Word that it will easily spill out to those around us. Thank you for sending your Spirit to do the hard work of changing hearts, which is not in our power. Help us to obey your calling to share boldly, using the greatest tool on Earth—your own words. We ask for all of these things in the name of your Holy Son, Jesus. Amen.