Spending Time with Him

This morning I didn't have the boys, thanks to Aunt Nina :) I decided to use all my treasure time to just worship Him. It took about 30 minutes or so of listening to music with worshipful lyrics to just focus my mind fully on Him. There was a struggle to keep my mind from wandering. I was determined. I am so glad He gave me the grace and strength to push through. We have to relentlessly pursue Him, not giving up. He is our prize.

I am coming away with this: There is NOTHING that can take the place of drawing near to Him, spending time alone with Him in His Presence. every day.

I have been fighting to keep Him as my focus. There are many things that I feel strongly about concerning His kingdom work. My flesh wants to run full speed into these things, not stopping to daily seek Him for Him. He could fix all the things in the world that I am passionate about...without me. He chooses to use me for reasons of His own, not to any credit of mine. BUT these things are not the point. He is the point. He is the prize of this life and for all of eternity. We too are His prize. He came for us. And we seek Him not only for ourselves but also for others. So that not only will we have His abundant life but so that others might have this too.

I want to know Him more deeply. I want to live more fully alive to the glory of His name.

I want to sow to please the spirit so that I will not gratify the sinful nature of the flesh. I want to reap from the spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control in greater measure.

I have come to believe more than anything else, without wavering, that spending time with Him is THE MOST important thing in our relationship with Him. I also believe it is that thing as Christians that we do the least.

Why is this?

I am reading through the gospels. A few things stuck out to me in Mark. Jesus made it a habit to go to solitary places and spend time with His Father early in the morning.

In the midst of the great needs of the crowds that followed Him, He disciplined Himself to go away and spend time alone with His Father in the middle of it all.

He also did this at the end of his hectic days.

I too want to follow His example.

Life is chaotic and demanding. There are a million noble, kindgom-worthy things in a day that could be done. None of those things compare to seeking Him. When we seek Him first AND in the midst of our day...He gives us power and strength to love our family, give encouragement to our friends, reach out to the lost, spend time with the lonely, meet the needs of the poor and whatever else we are called to for that day. Then when we spend time with Him before we end the day in sleep, we wake up with the gratefulness for a new day.

May I seek Him, first, last and all throughout my day. May my thoughts be fixed on Him. May I be consumed by Him. May I walk in His Presence at all times lifting high His name. He is the Answer for me and for others.

Yes, He is the Answer!