January 2, 2026 🤍✨📖 Reflection

I’ve read Genesis almost a million times. Seriously—year after year, I start a Bible-in-a-Year plan. I don’t always finish it… but I always start it.

This year feels different.

I’m reading Genesis through a completely different lens, and what I’m hearing God say is:

Don’t let desire rule over you.

You have to master yourself.

This morning was a real-life example.

I woke up at 5:30 AM and I did not want to go to Pilates. I was tired. I felt the weight of the New Year. I knew I had to clean up, handle life, and still show up for work. I truly wanted a break.

And then the thoughts started rolling…

“I only have 2 pounds of fat left.”

“I ate Chick-fil-A yesterday… I shouldn’t have.”

“I’m exhausted.”

But I have a mantra I live by:

How I feel will not dictate what I do.

So I told myself: Get up. Get up. Get up.

And I did.

On the drive, I started thinking about how I’ve started this 365-day plan so many times, and usually somewhere around month 2 or 3 I taper off. And it hit me: this is going to require real consistency and discipline.

Because God isn’t just calling me to read the Word—He’s been calling me for years to build a community where we read the Bible together, and I’ve ignored that call more than once.

After Pilates I came home, laid across the bed for a few minutes before logging in, and looked at my Bible like… “Okay, let me just read it real quick.”

But in my spirit I heard God say:

“Stephanie… slow down. Don’t rush this. Take your time.”

So I did.

And when I read Genesis 3, I saw desire in a way I haven’t seen before—how the tree looked good, how it looked desirable, how it felt reasonable in the moment (Genesis 3:6). And how deception always sounds like it’s helping you… while it’s quietly pulling you out of obedience (Genesis 3:4–5).

Then I got to the part about the tree of life, and how access was guarded after the fall (Genesis 3:22–24), and I had to stop. Because it reminded me that God is not playing with alignment—there are consequences when we choose our way over His Word (Genesis 3:16–19).

Then in Genesis 4, I watched it repeat again—how God regarded Abel’s offering but didn’t regard Cain’s (Genesis 4:4–5). And how God didn’t just leave Cain to his emotions… He warned him:

Sin is crouching… and you have to rule over it (Genesis 4:7).

That verse hit me because it made me think about how often we let feelings drive the decision. How often we let desire become truth. How often we put what we want above what God asked… and then we offer Him whatever is left.

And then when I moved into Psalm 2, it felt like God was speaking the same message—yield to His instruction, reverence Him, and take refuge in Him (Psalm 2:11–12). Because rebellion always feels justified… until you’re living in the fruit of it.

So here’s my reflection question for you:

✨ Where am I most tempted to treat my desires as truth instead of treating God’s Word as truth?

If you’re reading with me, I want to hear from you—what stood out to you in Genesis 3 & 4 and Psalm 2?

Let’s do this together. Slow. Steady. Anchored. 🤍📖✨