Or are we going to make our
own path in the wilderness as we progress through life?
Jeremiah
29 says that He knows the plans He has for us, plans for us to prosper not to
fail. His plans are for us to be strong in Him not to be weak in our own ways.
He planned from the beginning to walk with us each day and enjoy the time we
have together.
As a
young teen I can recall watching and waiting to see my mother come from the bus
to our home so that we could sit and have coffee together and chat. I would
often put on a pot of coffee fresh for her to smell as she walked up the stairs
to find the freshly poured beverage waiting there. We would sit there sipping
what often was more milk than coffee in my cup and black coffee in hers; we
would share our day’s ups and downs.
I have
often looked back on that time and wished I could go back; my mother is in
heaven with the Father now so it means so much more to return in my minds eye
to the time when I could spend time with one I love so much.
God wants
us to be as excited to spend time with Him each day. He wants us to put on a
pot of coffee, or prepare for His time with us.
Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves,
for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”
Joshua 3:5
King James says to sanctify you. So the question
is did you prepare yourselves for today?
We read, hear and some of us put ourselves
through a purification process with our diet in order to achieve a healthy
physical body. I wonder how much more we must purify our hearts and minds and
our spiritual body to have a healthy spiritual walk with the Lord.
If I was off watching television or reading in my
room when my mom came I would not have given her the coffee cup time, I would
hardly have known her heart nor would she know mine.
Because I gave of my time for the time when she
and I could visit I learned a lot about her life. I learned a lot about being a
mother even without her instructing me outright but in how she worked hard to
provide for our family. She put her own desires aside to be assuring herself
and us that we always had a place to live, food to eat and to know that she
cared for us.
Our God has done the same thing and He wants us
to set aside time with Him to get to know him.
One way of doing this is reading and paying
attention to what we are reading in the Word of God. A few years back I wrote
and lead a study called a Walk in the Word. I set it aside and am working on revitalizing
it now because I realized one day in retrospect that it really taught me how to
get to know God through His people and perspective in the Bible. In each day’s
study, each week's lessons I learned that the people mentioned were real people
some of whom would have been our friends, others we would have ran from. The
point being the people and God Himself became so real to me when I spent time ‘with
them’ in His Word.
Study to show yourselves approved rightly
dividing the Word … as we want it to be? ... as it fits into our plans?
‘ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a
worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth’.
Nkjv says it that way.
We are to
know Him and to know His words, the Truth. Jesus said “I am the way the truth
and the light…” so the word of truth, I believe, is the Word of God. If we are approved of God, by God, to God, we
will not be ashamed as we will be living according to His plan for us. It is
when we step aside and do things just because it looks fun, or exciting, or
cause everyone else is doing it that we cause shame to come up on us.
Think
about it, you have been given a gift of time with God; how will you spend it?
Will you wallow in self pity about the life you have made for yourself or would
you rather thank Him for directing you to the glories and hope that is His plan
for you?
Would you
sit at Jesus’ feet and complain that people are being mean to you or would you
sit at his feed and glean from His wisdom?
Our time
really is a lot like Mary and Martha isn't it? We can be Martha in the beginning;
prepare things so that we have the time to become Mary and sit at His feet!
So how do we prepare, or sanctify ourselves to spend time with Him?
The word ‘sanctify’
means; to be set apart.
Start by
setting aside our ‘self’ to be available to Him. Your life is busy, there are
people around, things are happening…
Make the decision to stop what you were doing
and get ready to spend time visiting with Him.
Pray, ask
Him to reveal your distractions and help you get rid of them so that you may
sit and sip coffee with Him.
Then take
the time to listen.
When mom
and I sat we would each take time listening.
Speak
your hearts desires to God, and He will take the time to listen.
Listen
with your heart and He will take time to speak to you.
If you need
help focusing sing out praises from your heart in worship to Him. You probably
know that God is with you all the time but when you spend time in personal
worship and praise, in song or psalm from your heart to His; there will be a
joyful peace that fills your heart and mind. You will know that you
communicated with the Lord when you spend time seated at His feet.
Next time
you are driving alone in your car begin to sing out a worship song… make your
own up! Start with thanking Him, then praise Him for things He is, and was, and
will be; give God the glory for all things in your life.
Give
thanks to the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever!
Dear
Heavenly Father, thank you for the plans you have for me, for us, help us to
focus on Your will in our lives this week and to choose to follow your path,
the way you have chosen for us. In Jesus name, amen.
Suggested
reading; Joshua 3:1- 17 , 2 Timothy
2:1-26, 2 Chronicles 30:1-37, Ephesians
4:1-32