Good morning all-
Well, we are on our way to a beautiful day in Kansas. The sun has risen and I got to see it in its full glory. I woke up around 5 am, went out and got coffee and donuts and back to work on my painting and now my blog. It should be a whirlwind day today packed with running around, laundry, grocery shopping and everything else I have to do. I love the weekends because I get to relax while doing everything that needs to be done, before I start my week.
Have you ever noticed how all the things you have to do in a day can take you away from the one thing we should be doing? I find that when life is packed I have less time for God, which equates to me feeling more frustrated, harried and often, I don't get as much accomplished as when I took some time to sit with God and study His word. Our joy doesn't come from how much we get accomplished in a day or how many times we laugh; it comes from knowing who God is and spending time with Him. Does a painter begin painting without his tools in place? Does a sports athlete win games if he hasn't gone to practice? The answers to both of these questions is no. If you are a painter all your tools must be prepared and ready for you to begin your work. If you're an athlete you have spent hours in a weight room, in a gym or on a field. Being an expert at anything takes time and practice. The skilled always portray their craft as if it's effortless but so much effort has gone into the preparation long before they executed.
That's why we need to be in our Bibles. It's great to go to church, listen to programs on the radio, read books by leading Christian authors but it's in the heart of the Bible that we learn the most. People like Beth Moore, Dr. James Dobson and others didn't get to be where they are today without studying the word, praying for God's will and becoming close to their maker. They have spent hours pouring into the Bible and trying to understand God in His fullest. Today, we all want the quickest way to be fed, even I struggle with that sometimes. But the bottom line is the only way to be fed well is to spend time in God's presence.
I'm challenging myself and all of you to think about this and to really take time with God. I know it's hard when you work or your raising young children but it's essential to our attitude, our heart and our mind. Starting a day with no food leads to cranky people. Well, the same can be said about starting our day without God. How many times have you let God go for a distraction? I know I have and it always ends up bad. My attitude is in alignment with my relationship with God. I realize that more and more. It can be tough to find time in a day to be with God but if you sat down to watch a program, got on line to look at Pinterest or any other distraction; you had a few minutes to sit and read some Scripture. I have found the more I start the day with God the better my attitude has been, even when negative things have creeped into my day. I rebound quicker, find peace easier and really see my maker at work in my life. I'm a work in progress and always will be. The Lord knows that and continues to grow me as I continue to seek Him daily. If we don't seek, we definitely can't find.
I guess the most important lesson for any of us to learn is that spending time with Christ equates to us having a more meaningful life. I think about David a lot and realize it was his constant reaching out to God that saved him even when he made bad decisions. His bravery came from knowing God. His faith came from walking with God daily and his prayers came from loving our Lord. We have the Psalms that represent joy, sadness, loss, faith, mercy and love. All these essential things packed into one man's journey with his God. Back then, David and his people only had the 10 Commandments, now we have a whole book filled to the brim with wisdom, love, patience, kindness, sacrifice, mercy, faith, trust and hope. All we need to do to receive it is to build a relationship moment by moment with the Lord. I'm not dictating an amount of time because that's not what building relationships is all about. In order to build a relationship we take the time to invest to have it. So, it will be up to you how much time you spend with God. I'm just asking that we all think about it and do it. There are millions of people that need a Savior and those of us that know Him must be fed by Him or we will be worthless to the lost. How do you explain loving someone if you haven't spent any time with them? It's hard. If you love someone you invest. Let's invest in Jesus today and watch the day become more meaningful!
May God bless you and keep you today. I'm praying for the nations and for all the generations. Our faith can lead many to Christ, we just have to prepare, believe and let Jesus do the rest!
2 Samuel 22:47 NIV84:
"The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!
Psalm 62:2 NIV 84:
that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
Psalm 18:2 NIV84:
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Acts 19: 20 NIV84:
In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
There is power in the word of God. Take a moment and look up "The word." There are a ton of references and the word came to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Solomon, Zechariah, Haggai, Elijah, Nathan, Moses and on and on. That's a ton of people that the word came too. If the word came to them, then the word can definitely guide us. There is power in the word of God. That's why we are so distracted. If we can be distracted from it, our power diminishes. Just a thought! Have a great day!
My prayer today:
Thank You, O, Lord for giving us the tools to be excellent. We are forever a work in progress being perfected by You. We realize that in order to truly know You; we must spend time with You. The Bible provides a workbook with stories to help guide us in a lost world. We cling to the Scriptures and ask that as we read them; you will reveal the true meaning. Give us the passion to seek You daily and to fulfill Your will on our lives. We are like sheep, wandering and distracted. Herd us and make us Yours. Thank You for never leaving us and for knowing right where we are with You. Today, we pray for the nations and the women that will be leading generations to come. Help us have victory in our lives, our marriages and in our families. Give us a heart for others and show us how we can make a difference in this fallen world. We are not the leaders of nations but we are part of Your global army. Give us wisdom and a heart that yearns for You always. Build us up and provide the tools we need to be victorious. We want to stand with You on the rock of salvation for eternity. Give us courage, time and a will that aligns with Yours. We come before You today thankful that we have a Savior that loves us all our days and who invests in our lives today and for all eternity. We praise Your Holy Name, In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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