Do you ever find yourself saying, “Phew… I just don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done?”
I know. I’ve been there too.
But one day I was listening to a podcast — yes, I know… the irony of what I’m about to say — and the host said something about time that stopped me.
She said, “You don’t manage time. You choose where it goes.”
That one sentence got me thinking.
Because if that’s true, then my calendar is telling the truth about what matters most to me.
So let’s do the math.
24 hours a day.
7 days a week.
That’s 168 hours.
Subtract 56 hours for sleep.
Subtract 40 hours for work.
That leaves 72 hours.
Seventy-two.
And yes — before you think I’ve lost my mind — we’ve got families, errands, church, laundry piles, grocery runs, car lines, and about 42 other things pulling at us every week. I’m definitely not pretending life is empty over here. I live in it too.
But 72 hours is still a lot of time.
The reality is this: time isn’t missing. It’s being spent. One way or another.
And if we’re really honest, when we say, “I just don’t have time to read my Bible or pray,” what we usually mean is that our time has already been claimed by other things.
But here’s the part we don’t always like to admit: by our own choosing.
Trust me… I’ve been there.
I remember my full-on mom days — three kiddos, full-time ministry, late-night youth events, nonstop go-go-go. I said the same thing. “I just don’t have time.”
And it wasn’t because I didn’t love God.
It wasn’t because I didn’t care.
It was because I let the busyness of life create the illusion that there wasn’t room for Him — when really, I had just filled the room with other things.
Good things.
Important things.
But not first things.
And that’s where we have to gently ask ourselves:
If God truly is the most important thing in our life… shouldn’t our time reflect that?
Joshua Didn’t Get a Battle Plan
So this takes me back to the story of Joshua — and I love it because it shows us what God knew was most important for the assignment Joshua had been given. So we’re getting a viewpoint straight from the Lord!
Joshua was about to step into the Promised Land.
Just think about that for a second.
Exciting.
Scary.
Full of wonder… and probably a little worry.
Surreal.
“This is really happening.”
Phew.
He wasn’t stepping into something small. He was stepping into history.
Moses was gone. The mantle had fallen on him. An entire nation was looking to him for leadership.
He was about to face armies.
Cities with walls.
Real opposition.
So naturally, you would expect God to hand him a military strategy, right?
Instead, God said this:
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” — Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
Not:
Sharpen your swords.
Build your army.
Create a leadership summit.
So when God tells Joshua to meditate on “this Book of Instruction,” He’s saying:
Keep My covenant words in front of you.
Keep My commands in your mouth.
Keep My promises in your heart.
Meditate on My Word.
Day and night.
That was the strategy.
God’s Word was the key to conquering territory.
And it still is to this day.
And here’s the truth about that moment.
God didn’t give Joshua new information.
He told him to stay anchored in what had already been spoken.
The strategy wasn’t about innovation.
It was immersion. And that immersion was in God’s Word!
And honestly? That hasn’t changed.
Nothing compares to the Word.
Not another master class.
Not another webinar.
Not another podcast (and I say that as someone who has one).
Those can be helpful — very helpful.
But they can never replace Scripture.
Because the Word of God isn’t just giving us information.
It’s alive. It’s truth. It’s revealing. It’s powerful. It’s life-changing.
It reshapes how we think.
It strengthens our spirit.
It steadies us when everything feels like too much.
And this — this is where faith grows.
“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” — Romans 10:17 (NLT)
Read the Word → Faith increases.
It really is that simple.
Real Talk
So here’s the thing: you don’t need three hours. What you need is intention. And this is based on whether you ‘feel’ like it or not.
Start with fifteen focused minutes in the Word and what you’ll discover very quick that it’s more powerful than two distracted hours scrolling.
The reality is the issue isn’t our schedule.
It’s our surrender.
So this week’s Holy Habit is about shifting from:
“I don’t have time”
to
“Lord, You are worth my time.”
Because when we give Him our first attention, everything else flows better from there.
Anchor Scriptures
Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
Romans 10:17 (NLT)
“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”
Psalm 1:2–3 (NLT)
“But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.”
Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Reflection Questions
If I’m honest, where do most of my “extra” 72 hours actually go?
What would it look like to give God my first 15–20 (or more) minutes instead of my leftovers?
Do I truly believe His Word is the foundation to everything in my life — or do I treat it like an optional add-on?
I want to encourage you with this.
You really do have time.
Not because your life isn’t full — I know it is.
Not because your responsibilities aren’t real — they are.
But because when something matters deeply to us, we make room for it.
And your time with the Lord? It matters.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life this week.
You don’t need to wake up at 4 a.m. or suddenly become someone you’re not.
Just start.
Open the Word. Read slowly. Let a verse sit with you. Talk to Him in the middle of your real, ordinary day.
It’s about pursuit. Small, steady pursuit.
And over time, those small moments will begin to shape everything else — your thoughts, your reactions, your peace, your faith.
You don’t have to do it perfectly.
You just have to begin.
Before you go….this reel clip says it perfectly about the impacts that reading God’s Word has on our life - listen here.