Thursday, September 07, 2006

I read this a couple of weeks ago and I could identify with what it said. Thought I would share it. I am not a morning person and it seems no matter how hard I try to get up earlier to try to spend time with God it never seems to happen now that I am back at work. I often find myself spending time with God on my five minute drive to work in the morning and saying a quick pray before I get there. Anyway, I thought this was a good article and the story that is at the end of this article I thought was beautiful and well said.




I have a hard time worshiping God on Monday mornings. For some reason the inspiration I had on Sunday starts to fade as soon as I begin the slow grind of the week. It's not that my cup is never filled; it often overflows. But I think it's leaky!

On Sunday night I have no troulbe worshiping God. On Sunday night, I'm on top of the world, relaxed from the weekend. With the message from chruch still fresh in my mind, I'm inspired to live enthusiastically for Christ. The fellowship of friends has encouraged and refreshed me. This week, I tell myself, will be different. This week I will be more joyful. This week I will stay foused on my walk. Every day will begin with prayer and devotion.

Then Monday morning comes. For starters, I'm not really a morning person. In fact I'm not really even a person in the morning! Of course, it's not my fault. As a teen I believed this problem was the result of a serious disease. I had heard of something called morning sickness and thought I must have it. My mother assured me that I couldn't get it; instead, she diagnosed my condition as L.S.S.(Lazy Slob Syndrome). The disease not only ravaged my body in the days of my youth, but it also continues to be a problem.

So how can I keep focused on God as I battle this brutal condition? I have difficulty matching my socks in the morning, let alone comprehending the Trinity!

When it coines to mornings, I wish I could identify with the psalmist when he wrote, "In the morning my prayer meets You" (Ps. 88:13). Often in my nighttime excitement I have promised God I will do just that, only to slap the snooze button and sleep through the seeking.

Maybe you're different. Maybe you belong to that annoying segment of the population known as "The Morning People." As the day winds down, so do you. But when it starts up again, you're as chipper as a ground squirrel.

Well, no matter what time of the day we are at our best or what mood we find ourselves in, as Christians we all have a similar calling. We are called to live in the light of eternal truths.

I have to admit that on Monday mornings God doesn't feel very real to me. I look at my to-do list.This is what is real, I think to myself. Phone calls, tasks, and deadlines. God seems so far away.

But I remind myself that I am not a Christian because of some passing feeling. My faith is based on the truth of God's Word and my relationship with His Son, Jesus. As a result I am a member of a kingdom that Jesus Himself warned is "not of this world" (John 18:36).

As members of this invisible kingdom, we have a difficult calling-to set our sights above the things we can see. We strive to behold a supernatural kingdom while still living in this world.

This is not an easy task. Many times we drown out the voice of God with the loudness of our lives. Yes, Jesus is in our hearts, but the world is in our faces. As a result, it takes time and attention to search for God. But I've found that it is well worth it, for He is a God who waits to reveal Himself!

I was reminded of this truth in a story I read recently about a young girl. The girl with deep blue eyes had been blind since birth. When she was 12, doctors were able to perform a new type of surgery would give her the gift of sight if it was successful. After the bandages were removed, her eyes had to be protected from the light for several days. So she sat in darkness, waiting.

The mother spent long hours answering her daughter's questions about what things looked like and what she should expect. They both were so excited about the possibility of her being able to see that neither of them slept much. Over and over they talked about every lovely thing they could imagine-colors, shapes, beauty of every kind.

Finally the moment came when the young girl's eyes could endure enough light for her to look out the window. She stood there for a long time without saying a word. Outside, the spring day was ideal-bright and warm with fluffy, white clouds decorating the blue sky. Lacy blossoms stirred the cherry trees. Yellow crocuses lined the brick walkway that wound across the grass.

When the girl turned back to her mother, tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Oh mother, why didn't you tell me it would be so beautiful?"

This story mirrors our relationship to the eternal realm. We have heard the descriptions of what our eyes will one day see. We have read about the wonders of God and heaven. Yet when we get to heaven, I wonder if we will have the same question for God that the little girl had for her mother, "Oh, why didn't You tell me it would be so beautiful?"

I know that heaven holds beauty that far surpasses any description. That is an exciting truth.Yet my excitement fades when I realize that in this world all too often we live with bandages still tightly wrapped around our eyes. Barely any light any light gets though. But instead of accepting darkness, we can let Jesus gently unravel our bandages and flood our lives with His light, power, and love.

If we focus on Him, we will have lives that transcend what our earthly eyes can see. The Father of Light longs to dispel our darkness and heal our sin-scarred eyes, even in the morning.


Storms of Life

The Bible uses the storm as a picture of hard times in our lives. These “life storms” may include danger, sickness, persecution or the death of a loved one. When hard times come, people sometimes feel as if their circumstances, like giant waves or howling winds, are about to destroy them.

David experienced these feelings many times. One time, as he ran for his life, he felt especially desperate. “The waves of death swirled about me,” he later said. “The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me” (2 Samuel 22:5).

But in the midst of terrible danger, David made an important discovery: God was nearby, ready to save him. David called out for help and God answered.

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me” (2 Samuel 22:17-18). David not only escaped death, he later became Israel's king.

Just as God uses physical storms to accomplish His purposes, He may use difficult times in your life to strengthen your faith or draw you closer to Him. Like Jonah, Paul and David, you also have an important place in God's plan.

No matter how big the storm is, God is right beside you. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” The Lord offers His children protection from life's storms.

Next time you hear thunder, feel the driving wind or watch ocean waves crash against the rocks, remember that God controls every storm—just as He controls your life.