Good Morning

Some of you may have heard of Oswald Chambers.  I think he is most known for his devotional book, "My Utmost for His Highest."  I received this devotional book from my home church's pastor, David Haygood, when I graduated from high school.  It has a devotional for each day of they year.  I have read through this devotional book may times since them, and I still love it because it is very deep and challenging to say the least.  In fact, one of my all time favorite quotes comes from one of his daily devotionals, but I'll save that one from another day.

In preparing for last week's youth Bible study, I came across this quote from Mr. Chambers in our leader's guide:

"It is impossible for a believer, no matter, what his experience, to keep right with God if he will not take the trouble to spend time with God...Spend plenty of time with God; let other things go, but don't neglect Him."

I LOVE this quote.  We tell our youth girls all of the time that they can't get to know God any better if they don't spend any time with him outside of Sunday morning and Wednesday night.  Yet, so often I think we believers start to coast along in our faith and somehow convince ourselves that we don't need as much time with God.

As I write this at 8:30 am, my precious little boy is still sleeping!  I can't believe it.  It has been nice to have a whole lot of time this morning to myself, but I cannot WAIT until he wakes up.  Going to get him out of his crib each morning is one of the highlights of my day.  I cannot wait to see his smiling face, kiss those chunky cheeks, and squeeze him to death.  I was thinking earlier that God certainly must feel that same way about us.  He cannot wait to spend a little one on one time with us each morning.  Yet, so often we neglect this time with Him.  I was thinking how I would feel if I went to get Reives this morning and he turned his back towards me or didn't flash me his oh so cute smile!  I would be hurt, crushed, and really, really sad.  Well, I am pretty sure that is how God feels, when we start our day without even acknowledging him.  I mean, I know He understands that some mornings we cannot take 10 or 15 minutes or however long to spend in prayer and in His Word.  But, I do feel that He longs for us to at least come before Him with a prayer, a smile, a heart of gratitude, or a quick prayer of thanksgiving.  He waits for this moment each day just as I wait for the moment my sons greets me in the mornings.

As the quote says, it is impossible for us to keep "right" (close to, in tune with, as things should be) with God, if we neglect our time with Him.  And, I truly believe that it saddens His heart when we don't spend that quality time with Him.  "Spend plenty of time with God; let other thins go, but don't neglect Him."