The Great Return

Those who want God "out of their lives" don't know what they are asking. If there is a God, then to continue to exist independently as a rebel is not possible. He has created us to run on Himself, on the Holy Spirit- such that to live without Him is to be like the branch of a tree wanting to be "on its own", apart from the tree. The closer we get to Him, the more alive we will be, the more right we will be going, we will be approaching our destiny- returning to "the Light". The further away we go, the less alive and less spiritual. There is nothing that will survive apart from Him, no matter how much it wants to. Perhaps for a little while, but not for long. To return to the Father is not just something we should want to do- it is our destiny, written in the stars by the Great Author before the universe even began.

When To Act

It is a confusing matter to know just how much we should be doing on our own after we ask God for something. I trust in Him to bring it to me, but day and night I still wonder if there is something that I need to be doing as well. To act or not to act, to wait and pray or does he want me to go out and search for it on my own? Questions, questions- but few answers. This is when we must pray for wisdom. The flesh is willing, but faith . . . my God, sometimes it is so weak . . .

Closer Than You Think

Once I was trying to pass a fitness test. We had to run almost two miles in about 11 minutes. The only way that you would know how far you had run was by keeping track of the number of laps done. After several minutes, I lost count. I was so focused on my breathing, thinking that I might not make it, the problems I was encountering- that I forgot to keep track of how far I'd actually gone. I decided to stop, to take the easy way out and walk- thinking there was no way that I was going to finish anyway. What I hadn't realized is that I was only one lap away from the goal when I gave up. I thought I had done 7 laps, but in reality I had done so much more. You may feel at times that you will never get to where you need to be- that you're too far behind and can never catch up. What you don't realize is that GOD is the only One who knows what lap you're on. Don't give up so easily. That goal you put out there for yourself may not be quite as far away as you imagine. Keep pushing ahead and doing your best, even when it seems to be useless. The run is long and the loneliest time is spent second guessing yourself. Just keep running. You may be closer than you think.

Time Returned

The more time you give to God, the more of it He will then give back to you. I suspect this is one of the reasons we have so little time for anything anymore in today's world. Every square inch of our life is occupied, with little set aside for Him (this is just how the enemy wants it). Stop the grind, if only for a few minutes every day, and spend time with the Lord. Is there any relationship in your life that's more important than this? That time you think you don't have, if given over to God- by reading His word, praying, sitting silently and praising Him- that very time that seems to slip away more and more with every passing hour, will be given back to you. He will multiply it, it is in His power to do so, believe me. In the same way, the time you waste on everything else, all those moments when "you would pray, but there is so much to do today", will be snatched away from you. That which you hold onto and hoard for yourself will be taken, but that which you give away will be returned tenfold. Perhaps it is the same with our time.