In this episode, I share something I’ve done for years that has helped keep God’s Word alive in my heart. I open up to the book of Psalms and read through the verses I’ve underlined — I did this deliberately. Every time I’d read a verse in Psalms or Proverbs that touched me, strengthened me, or met me right where I was, I underlined it. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it would become something I’d go to again and again to spend time with God and feed my spirit and enlighten my soul. I talk about how powerful it is to “stock up” on Scripture for the days we need it most, the same way we feed our bodies without fully understanding how the nutrients work. The Word works in us the same way — we just have to get it in. You’ll hear some of my favorite passages, why I underlined them, and how they are perfect to carry us through difficult times. I also share a little about being a work in progress, letting go of the pressure I put on myself, and allowing myself the grace to enjoy the journey. If you’ve ever wanted a simple way to keep the Word close or create your own “Word stash” to turn to when life gets loud, this episode will bless you.
In this episode, I’m sharing some of the verses I’ve underlined over the years in Psalms — the ones that fed me, lifted me, and helped me connect with God in a simple, relational way, like a daughter sitting with her Father. I talk about why it’s so helpful to “stock up on Scripture” ahead of time and how the Word works in us the same way healthy food works in our bodies: we just have to get it in. If you’ve ever wanted a simple way to build your own “Word stash” for those moments when you need strength or peace, this will bless you.
Hey, my name is Kathy Roberts, and this is the What Does God Say to You Podcast.
For this podcast, I'm not gonna totally just act like, you know, nothing happened between the last podcast and today. If you didn't listen to the last podcast, then you wouldn't know anything. But if you did, you might be saying, What the heck? Because there's been one podcast this month, and this is the month of November, and in October when I did that podcast I said, “Here I am again doing it on the last day of the last month,” and I just have to acknowledge that. Because I said that I was going to put it first and do it in the beginning of the month.
And all I can say now is: I'm still a work in progress. And I'm going to let it go because it really could be that all of that was what I was putting on myself and not what God was. So that's what I'm going with. And I am committed to doing a podcast a month. At least I’m sticking to that. And so here it is.
Okay, so today what I'm going to do is I'm going to read some underlined verses that I have in Psalms and Proverbs. Now this is something that I've done so many years ago and I suggest you do it too. Open up Psalms and just start reading, and the ones that hit your heart — the ones where you feel like, “Oh, that was good” — underline it. And just keep going like that, and do it in Proverbs too.
Then on a day when you just want some Word in your heart, you can open up Psalms and just read some of your underlines and just go on with that. It’s a wonderful way to fellowship with the Father, but also a way to get the Word in more than just reading or listening.
There’s a verse that says — it’s Psalm 107:20 — “He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from all their destructions.” And in another place in the Bible it says, “from all their diseases.” So the Word of God does this for us, and we don’t have to know how it’s doing it. Just like we don’t know what the orange does when we eat it. It has vitamin C in there. It has enzymes in there. There’s all kinds of stuff in oranges that our body needs. We don’t have to make it happen — but we do have to eat it. When we get it in, it does its thing.
Same thing with the Word of God.
So today I’m going to just read some of these verses that I have underlined. And you could listen to this podcast any time you just need an infusion of God’s Word. There’s also a verse that says it’s medicine to our soul. So if you ever feel like you're not feeling so good, then you could just take a dose of medicine. It’s amazing how it works.
All right, so here we go.
“Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law does he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper.”
We could do an entire podcast on just those three verses.
“Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.”
“Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God.
But Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.
I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill.”
I love that one. So when other people are saying, “God isn’t going to help you out of this one,” David reminds himself, But Thou, O Lord, are a shield for me…
“But know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for Himself. The Lord will hear when I call unto Him.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.”
There’s that verse: Be still and know that I am God. He doesn’t mince words. There’s a reason He says to be still.
Verse 7:
“Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.”
Verse 8:
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”
This is a great verse when you can’t sleep. It’s like a sleeping pill, only better.
“My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.”
“For Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt Thou compass him as with a shield.”
“The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.”
“My defense is of God, which saves the upright in heart.”
“I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.”
“What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?”
“Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands.”
“O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!”
“In the Lord put I my trust.”
“The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.”
Sometimes when I read this, I actually put my hand up and say, “Here I am, God.” I picture Him searching the earth: Where is she? Where’s the one seeking Me?
“I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
Sometimes our emotions say, “What am I gonna do? This isn’t looking good!” But we can override it with our spirit.
Verse 11:
“Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
“Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.”
What a beautiful picture — like a mother hen gathering her chicks.
“I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies.”
“In my distress I called upon the Lord… He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.”
Sometimes when I pray, I just say, “God, I need to remind myself — You hear me.”
There’s a verse in Psalm 18 that’s actually a song I used to sing in a fellowship when I lived in Florida. It’s so good to know the Word in song because your spirit can grab it even when your emotions are acting up.
I’ll try to sing it:
The Lord liveth, and blessed be the Rock,
and let the God of my salvation be exalted…
“As for God, His way is perfect: the Word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him.”
“It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.”
“Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.”
“For Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle…”
Verse 46:
“The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.”
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.”
Let me talk about these a little bit and then we’ll wrap up.
We don’t change ourselves. Like I said before — we put in the orange, and it knows what to do. We don’t do it. But we have to put it in. We feed our bodies — we have to feed our spirit too. And when we do, it converts us.
If you have an eye twitch because you're low in potassium — you eat a banana. You don’t tell it what to do. You just feed your body and it goes to work.
The Word of God is the same way.
Psalm 19:7 says, The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. We don’t convert ourselves — the Word does the work.
Now, we can put in the effort to change habits and work on ourselves, and that’s good. But I’ve experienced times where all I did was put the Word in, and I was a different person.
Years ago, after a car accident, I was in a hospital bed in traction — broken all over the place. I couldn’t move. And I knew I didn’t know the answer to getting out of that mess — but I knew God did. So I listened to the Word 24/7. Cassette tapes played nonstop. I listened to praise music. And in a very short time, I was a different person.
Now in everyday life, we’re surrounded by noise — social media, TV, negativity, people. So we have to be diligent to get the Word in regularly. We want to work on ourselves, but if all we did was put the Word in and shut everything else out, it would convert us. It’s beautiful.
So that’s that for this.
I love this section: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul… The testimony of the Lord is sure... It’s so gorgeous.
Okay, I’ll close out now. Thank you for this. I think I needed to just chill with my own self and share the Word. I think I make it too complicated — so I’m working on it.
My name is Kathy Roberts, and this is the What Does God Say to You Podcast.