A few days ago, I entered the kitchen late one night to prepare my coffee pot for the following morning. I twisted open the coffee canister, peered inside, and dread hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was out of coffee.

In a frenzy I scoured every kitchen cabinet and checked the pantry — all to no avail. Panic set in. Worst-case scenarios played out in my head. Should I race to the store now? Which stores are even open this late? Should I wake my son up early in the morning to make a coffee run? Should I bang on my neighbors’ doors?

Thankfully, I finally uncovered two hotel coffee packets. (Don’t judge.) With a sigh of relief, I emptied their contents into the coffee filter and filled the machine with water. My morning cup would not be good, but it would be functional.

Once my nerves calmed down, the Holy Spirit convicted me:

If only you had that same desire for the Word.

Because it’s so easy not to protect my relationship with God with the same intensity. I may or may not have a meaningful time of prayer and Bible study in the morning, but doggone it I will drink my cup of coffee.

So I’ve given myself a new challenge. I want to crave the Word more than my cup of joe. I want Scripture to be my lifeblood, not a caffeine-laced black liquid. I want to guard my time with God with the same fervor that I ransacked my house for coffee. I want the Bible to be so foundational to my day that not reading it would give me a bad day.

After all, coffee jump-starts my morning, but God’s Word jump-starts my life. Paul once taught Timothy the value of God’s Word. Scripture, he said:

• Makes us “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
• “Is given by inspiration of God.”
• “Is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
• Makes us “complete”
• Equips us “for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

That’s what I want jump-starting my day, don’t you?