Every Tuesday morning I meet with my church ladies and we pray for our church, our community and each other. I am so blessed to have time with them every week where we can join our faith in agreement and see God do something amazing!
As I was having some personal time during this prayer session I really felt the Lord reminding me how important and essential my relationship is with Him. It's essential for my life, for my purpose and for all those around me because I can do ALL things through Him, as He strengthens me. But apart from Him I can do nothing, John 15:5. Nothing, you ask? Surely you can do something apart from Jesus. Yes, technically I can cook, clean and do laundry apart from Him, but those things are temporal and very short lived because there will be more mundane laundry and dishes and meals needing preparation tomorrow.
What I can't do apart from Him is bear any lasting fruit. There is an eternal quality with Jesus. Apart from Him I don't have that quality. I don't have the lasting effects of my efforts if He is not involved. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it, Psalm 127:1.
The focus of our Christianity has got to be on our one on one time with Jesus, our prayer and study of the Word. We will not grow into a deeper relationship without it. I don't want to be stuck in the same place for the rest of my life. I don't want to be satisfied with where I am in my relationship with God in a way that doesn't propel me forward to experience more. Complacency is an enemy of relationship. Complacency says it's good enough, no need for more. If we want to be complacent let's do it with chocolate cake, not Jesus! There is so much to experience about God that there never needs to be an attitude of "good enough".
It's like marriage. Why make it to "good enough"? How many people never get past that and then wonder what they missed out on with someone else? They don't take the time to give of themselves and experience the "more" that can be. Giving ourselves to God is about more than words; it's about making our quiet time and study time a priority because as we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. We take one step but in reality it's two steps because He moves toward us. Every one step we take is doubled! God is in the business of blessing. :) And that's a whole other topic for later!
Be blessed and get into the Word and prayer!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Meditate on Life today
As I sit here in my kitchen drinking my happy juice, (a.k.a. coffee), pondering the new days many events and meetings, I am desperately trying to just be still and hear God's voice. The hard part for me is being still. I've been in a lifestyle where I'm constantly "doing". Doing what, you ask? Anything and everything!
In the grand scheme, or the giant map of time, the only important thing that will remain is the relationships I've developed and put effort into. Next week no one is going to remember the meeting about this or that, or even know how much time I've put into those meetings and upcoming events. That doesn't mean I can put little effort into my projects. My husband always says integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking. I can put the effort into them, but not the stress! The anxiety and worry has to be left out, according to Philippians 4, thanksgiving and prayer put in its place, and the peace of God will guard my heart from being overwhelmed and discouraged.
I know I've shared this scripture before, but all scripture is relevant to us everyday of our lives. We must live by it, consume it, because scripture is the Bread of Life. Do we not live "life" everyday? So it makes sense to have the Life that causes us to be able to live, right? If there is life to be read, meditated and followed you would think everyone would be on board. The Bible is looked at today as a religious relic and not the instruction book to the greatest life a person could ever have on this earth, not to mention the actual words of the Creator, Himself. Genesis says the Word is God. So many people have no idea that they're living death and destruction, the very opposite of the life Jesus came to give us.
If we don't have the Word in us we are not living! Meditate on Life today; read your Bible!
In the grand scheme, or the giant map of time, the only important thing that will remain is the relationships I've developed and put effort into. Next week no one is going to remember the meeting about this or that, or even know how much time I've put into those meetings and upcoming events. That doesn't mean I can put little effort into my projects. My husband always says integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking. I can put the effort into them, but not the stress! The anxiety and worry has to be left out, according to Philippians 4, thanksgiving and prayer put in its place, and the peace of God will guard my heart from being overwhelmed and discouraged.
I know I've shared this scripture before, but all scripture is relevant to us everyday of our lives. We must live by it, consume it, because scripture is the Bread of Life. Do we not live "life" everyday? So it makes sense to have the Life that causes us to be able to live, right? If there is life to be read, meditated and followed you would think everyone would be on board. The Bible is looked at today as a religious relic and not the instruction book to the greatest life a person could ever have on this earth, not to mention the actual words of the Creator, Himself. Genesis says the Word is God. So many people have no idea that they're living death and destruction, the very opposite of the life Jesus came to give us.
If we don't have the Word in us we are not living! Meditate on Life today; read your Bible!
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