• Truth: "Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth - John 17:17
  
• God's blessing: "But He said, 'More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it'" - Luke 11:28
  
• Victory: "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" - Ephesians 6:17
  
• Growth: "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" - Peter 2:2
  
• Power: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" - Romans 1:16
  
• Guidance: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" - Psalm 119:105

That being said, here are some beautiful promises from God to strengthen our minds, comfort our souls and build up our faith in Him alone.

Salvation

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. - John 3:16-17

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. - Revelation 3:20

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” - John 14:6

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8,9

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Assurance

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. - Isaiah 40:30-31

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22-23

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:28-30

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39

I realised that to me, God only existed to give me what I wanted. I'd go to church occasionally (if I remembered) out of duty and to feel like a better Christian. I certainly didn't delight in Him and I felt guilty for not being a better outward follower. My prayers consisted of a few "thanks for this" quickly followed by "please give us this" - there was little delight, wonder or enjoyment. We didn't have any relationship at all.

Obviously, I wasn't happy with this realization. I desperately pleaded with God: Change me! Be my treasure! Open the eyes of my heart! I prayed this often for a few days and things began to happen around and inside me. What still amazes me is how quickly He answered my prayers. My eyes began to see the words that I read in the Gospel so differently. I heard God's own voice and felt the Spirit touching and moving me as I read about His love in the Bible. Jesus explains that people with His Spirit will see, hear and understand God. The rest of the world who still have "something like scales over their eyes" will consider it all foolishness.

"This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." - Matthew 13: 13-16

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:18

Unbelievers think that they know what Jesus is getting at with the parables, but it's not as simple as understanding the symbolism. He's actually talking directly to people about their own inability to see Him at this very moment. He was speaking to everyone before us and is speaking right now to everyone today. He's talking to you. Are you the one who can see, but never sees? My heart had grown dull and my ears could barely hear and He showed me the desperate state of my condition apart from Him. Now I see! Now I hear! When God heals you and you read His Word, the Spirit applies it to your life in so many ways and despite this varied experience of it, the result is always the same: you see Jesus - the very image of God - as glorious!

"God gave us the Bible not just to inform our minds, but also to transform our hearts - our affections. God's word is honored not just by being understood rightly, but also by being felt rightly." - John Piper, How to Read the Bible For Yourself

Now I happily answer this question again with the eyes of my heart wide open.

Do I find God to be glorious? Yes. Jesus fills my heart every time I catch a glimpse of Him. He speaks from within me. His Holy Spirit fills my body with warmth, excitement and wonder at the love of God. My heart leaps within me, my soul trembles. I didn't know this level of overwhelming love even existed. I was made by Him for Him. Jesus is more glorious than anyone or anything. As a result of God's love filling me I also love everyone in my life more deeply than I did before.

Please don't worry if you don't feel this way about God, you can get there with His help. Everyone starts their lives separated from Him. If you're in the same place that I found myself before, just follow what Jesus calls us to do:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8

God will not leave you in the darkness if you want to see His light. Ask Jesus for His help to see Him clearly. If other things seem like a better use of your time, please know that it's a trap laid by the father of lies. Satan's main job is to keep you from God by making everything else look more enticing. Open the Bible (or download the free Bible app) and ask God to show you the glory and truth of Jesus - the New Testament is a great place to start. If you don't think you need any of this, simply ask God to show you why you do. We've all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No one can be with God after death without faith in Christ's finished work on the cross. The alternative to eternal joy with Jesus is eternal suffering without Him. Just ask God for wisdom through His word - He's waiting for you with arms wide open.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12: 1-2

I joined facebook the first week of my freshman year at college. Almost every person I met at any social event asked if we could be “facebook friends”. There was an instant feeling of pride every time my network expanded. Connecting with new acquaintances and reconnecting with high school peers was thrilling and I enjoyed showcasing the best version of myself to receive positive feedback.

It wasn’t helpful to waste time on it everyday, but I excused it as necessary to stay in touch with people. Last fall my workload increased significantly, so I removed the app from my phone and installed a productivity extension to chrome which allowed me 15 minutes of use. This worked brilliantly for about a week, but I soon gave into my compulsion and found ways around it. After realising that I couldn’t be trusted to avoid it using willpower alone I gave access over to my husband.

Straight away I searched for content to stimulate me the way that everything on facebook had (youtube, snapchat, instagram, etc). Despite my best efforts my world quieted down without the steady influx of information, entertainment and notifications. I began experiencing life on a calmer, private level and was slowly freed from my need to self-promote. I learned that my life had value whether it was being catalogued or "liked" by others. Most importantly I was losing the unkind habit of judging others for the sake of personal validation - something that always left me feeling awful.

Around this time my friend recommended a daily devotional app called “Bible in One Year”, which began my morning routine in God’s word. It navigates through Old & New Testament books in a clear way and applies them in historical and modern day context. You don't have to be a learned theologian to understand Scripture (especially when you have the Holy Spirit who helps you understand it), but this devotional is a really great tool. In an astoundingly short period of time I began seeing Jesus as more infinitely grand than anything or anyone I’ve ever known. My desire for truth grows daily and He's become the only thing that really satisfies. He's what I've been looking for all the days of my wandering.

"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." - John 6:35