“Come to Me with your defenses down, ready to be blessed and filled with My Presence. RELAX, and feel the relief of being totally open and authentic with Me, You have nothing to hide and nothing to disclose, because I know everything about you already.”
This is a passage from the devotional, Jesus Calling written by Sarah Young. It is a current favorite and often as I read Sarah’s conversations with God and study the scriptures provided I am provoked to deep thought and encouraged by the journeys taken with The Holy Spirit.
I recently shared with my daughter that I always considered myself to be a person who could “relax” easily. I am happy and often energetic, but also really enjoy just “vegging out”. However, on a recent anniversary trip to a secluded location I realized total relaxation and “mind quieting” if you will, took me a couple of days to achieve. I was shocked. My total and complete relaxation set in about day 3, and then it was almost time to go back to reality!
The same thing can happen with our time with God. How do we allow ourselves to be “filled with His Presence” if it is not a habitual practice? Have you ever felt like you couldn’t just enjoy the Word or the worship songs or the “Be still and know that I am God” moments in your private time with God because there was so much clatter in your head? We have all been there too many times and it can be frustrating.
I think Sarah’s impression from God is a key. Although we often come to God sullied by the world and our own failures, HE KNOWS. HE is not shocked, and His love for, and forgiveness to us is rushing and flowing over the riverbanks like a flood!! WE are burdened, possibly ready to rationalize our sin or defend our actions, or afraid of being authentic. So silly, aren’t we? He is GOD after all, and He’s a really Great Guy!
Don’t skip your time with Him because you think you have “dirty laundry list” to clear up before you can just enjoy Him. I would be so sad if my children felt that way about me. Can you imagine the people you love to spend time with just not coming to hang out because they were worried about what you were thinking of them?
I have found that the key to having regular time with God is to just HAVE IT!! Ha-ha! Really! Just decide to do it! Stop analyzing it. Stop making excuses. Stop putting it off until “the perfect time”. Stop looking for a “formula” or a “system”. We are always looking for “things” that will change our lives for the better. We look to relationships, money, doctors, material things, etc. Here is a guarantee. Enjoy his Presence, Seek Him, and ALL these things will be added to you!
I close with something I told my Christian Studies girls once. Every morning I get up, brush my teeth, put my pink fuzzy robe and slippers on and make my way to the kitchen to brew my morning tea. When I come out of the kitchen I have a choice. I can turn right, curl up in my chair, turn on the T.V. and the computer and “wake up”. OR – I can turn left, go into my office/prayer closet, curl up on my couch, turn on my IPod and begin my day with THE ONLY PRESENCE that changes EVERYTHING. It is always a choice. The devil is real and he wants to steal our time with God because He knows he is defeated when we get fresh manna and remember to access the power of the Cross!
The more you do it, the easier it gets. Go for it friends! Be Blessed and BE FILLED!
