I woke up this morning with the keen realization that 2014 is almost over. It’s a lazy sort of morning with few plans, so I took several minutes to reflect on the incredible blessings of God’s goodness and grace this past year before peeling myself out from the covers.

It’s been the sort of year that makes me deeply thankful to belong to the Good Shepherd. As I think back over the months, they’ve had their challenges, but each month has been overflowing with God’s grace and kindness.

As I opened my Bible for my morning reading, vital dots began to connect between the blessings of 2014 and the book in my hands.

Every struggle and victory, every need and answered prayer, every burden and relief…blessing, opportunity, growth, fruit, goal achieved…every victory and accomplishment was directly related to God’s Word.

And there in black and white in front of me was the reason why:

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.—Proverbs 30:5

I took several minutes to flip back through my journal. And yes, it was true. Personal victory, spiritual victory, emotional victory, relational victory—all of it came through the wonderful Word of God.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this year has been one unbroken string of victories. It absolutely has not. But the victories that have come have been granted through the provisions of Scripture.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:—2 Timothy 3:16

Most significantly, however, as I looked back over the year via my journal, it isn’t just the outcomes of Scripture that brought blessing. It is the process.

Specifically, it is the knowledge of and experience with God Himself gained through the pages of His inspired Word. It was the understanding of Who He is that I gained or focused on and the assurances of His presence and character.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.—2 Peter 1:2–4

Through God’s Word, we see Jesus—the living Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.—John 1:1

And as challenges came throughout the year, God meted proportionate grace to me through the promises and provisions of His Word.

Do you want victory in 2015? You need God.

Do you want to know God—beyond salvation, for your daily needs? To experience His presence? To grow in His grace? You need His Word.

Read God’s Word. Study it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. And record His answers to your needs in a journal.

Victory and growth are as close as your fingertips.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful…—Hebrews 4:12