God tests with His Word

Posted by Admin on Mar 24, 2014 in Connection, Testing | Comments Off on God tests with His Word

Connections—for example, plumbing connections (or any other arbitrary household, vehicular, or structural connection)—are often put to the test. The test might involve an inspection or a tune up by a certified professional or the owner; such tests are a good thing.

Connections will also be tested without any warning at all due to random events that occur beyond the control of the individual. Because of such unforeseen events—hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.—architects and city planners have learned to build structures and systems to withstand a variety of cataclysmic misadventures.

Testing is an integral part of good architectural design. Without testing, there is no way of knowing whether a structure will be able to hold up against the worst of nature or evilly-motivated men. This testing is designed to tweak and adjust, retrofit and restructure so that buildings will be able to stand—and so that the lives of those living or working within will survive if the unthinkable happens.

So, there is a good kind of test and an evil kind of test. The good kind of test prepares for the worst but is designed to bring about the best outcome possible. The evil kind of test collides with everything in its path to wreak havoc and destruction.

Guess which type of test is from God? Guess which type is not from Him? In light of the architectural analogy, it’s not hard to discern the difference.

Jesus used an architectural analogy Himself when instructing His followers concerning being prepared for the cruel tests of life. As He concluded His Sermon on the Mount, He revealed that His words were not only to be heard, but to be acted upon, as well. Jesus, the wise Teacher, had just distributed the test—words of life and sober truth—among the crowd, and He set the bar high.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock,” He declared (Matthew 7:24). He was saying, in essence, You’ve heard Me; now, if you are wise, you will follow through. This was a test—a controlled, Teacher-directed test in a safe environment.

Take a closer look at the test:

• Hear these words of Mine
• Act on them

Jesus is teaching you and me today exactly the same thing He instructed His disciples long ago on the Mount of Olives. The controlled test of the Lord, presented and conducted in a safe environment, is simply to hear His words and to act on them. Daily. Often. Consistently. Time and again. Over and over. Regularly.

But why?

“...the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25; emphasis added).

Studying the Word of God and acting on it is like building a house on solid bedrock. And it is in the safe, controlled environment of learning the Word and putting it into practice that you become equipped to face the cruel tests of life. Rains fall. Floods come. Winds blow. They slam against all of our lives—and if you have built your life upon the Word of God, you will not be destroyed.

Jesus also said this: “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Matthew 7:26; emphasis added). You hear His Word—you’re in the safe-zone, the perfect testing environment for absorbing the truth of the Bible and then obeying what you learn; but you decide you have better things to do.

Oh, that’s OK—God’s really a great Guy. He’ll cover it, you may think. You’ve built a lovely beachfront home, right there on Sandy Lane over by Easy Street, and you are enjoying life at its best. You almost feel sorry for all those poor clods who dig away at the Rock day in and day out, building and calculating and fitting and testing their structures for soundness. They’ve gone off the deep end, you may chuckle to yourself.

But you didn’t take into consideration one teensy, tiny point—typhoon season!

“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:27; emphasis added).

Jesus clearly revealed the way to not only survive the worst that life could throw your way but to overcome in the midst of it, too. As you allow the Lord to test you by receiving His words and then acting on them in the safe, controlled environment of your everyday life, you build on a solid foundation with materials of an imperishable nature. And when storms crash against your life, you will stand and prevail, because you’ve built upon the bedrock of God’s Word.

May we value to the fullest extent the safe, controlled testing environment of hearing His Word and acting upon it in our everyday lives.

Dorothy

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Proverbs 14:1

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. James 1:22

Tests

Posted by Admin on Mar 21, 2014 in Connection, Testing | 1 comment

Just about everyone six or seven years old and up has taken a test. What is the purpose of a test in the academic setting? At its best, a test is a tool to assess the ability of the test taker to use knowledge specifically covered in lessons in an accurate and meaningful way.

Not all tests given in schools are great assessment tools; not all tests truly tap into the heart of the knowledge imbedded within students; yet almost all tests have certain things in common—they require some sort of preparation; they draw upon the reserves of the individuals undergoing the test; and they are not fun.

The book of James speaks of the testing of our faith: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2-3; emphasis added). James is pointing out here that one way the testing of your faith occurs is through trials. The apostle Paul writes of tribulations (which are certainly trials): “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance” (Romans 5:3). Both James and Paul observe that trials which test your faith produce endurance and perseverance.

What is being tested when you as a Christian undergo a trial? Mainly, your faith—your confident connection to God through Jesus Christ. But how do you attain faith?

Faith is the gift of God—it’s not self-manufactured—and it comes as you recognize the biblical truth that you have need for connection with One greater than yourself. Saving faith comes to you when this recognition of need leads you to the truth about Jesus, the One who died for you. It is then—when you link your life to Jesus by the faith arising within you—that you enter into full relationship with God based the substitutionary death of Jesus for you. Note: saving faith immerses you in the righteousness of Jesus, who took your sin on the cross, thereby creating an exchange—your sin for His righteousness. Saving faith can never be granted due to your own personal goodness.

Therefore tests, trials, and tribulations are geared toward one end—your faith in God through Jesus Christ. Who is the author of these tests? Good question; this very question is at the heart of how confidently you approach the test.

When I taught, I devised tests. I spent time thinking about the lessons I taught and how I wanted to assess the mastery of those concepts. In a controlled atmosphere and specific time frame, I gave those tests. They had a beginning, a middle, and an end. More times than I can count, I heard the triumphant word “DONE!” escape the lips of my students—both boys and girls—in every subject and each grade I was privileged to teach, from second to ninth.

But here’s the next question. If I tested a concept, is it safe to say that, as a result, my students would never need to use the tested understanding again? They passed, didn’t they?

Here’s the truth behind controlled testing. At its best and most practical, testing equips students for the real world. Math lessons and tests should prepare you for real-world encounters with everything numeric. English and language arts lessons and tests should prepare you for real-world encounters with everything in the realm of communication—reading, speaking, listening, and writing. The same is true for science and history. Those lessons and tests should train you in scientific thought based on facts, inquiry, and observation and should give you historical perspective from which to draw independent conclusions about human interactions, behaviors, choices, and outcomes.

I’m not referring to the current academic practice of indoctrinating young minds with worldviews designed to lead them to shun biblical faith and traditional values. I am speaking in reference to the true goal of solid education—the equipping of young people with the tools and skills necessary to interact with their world and make wise and well-developed, thoughtful choices based on critical thinking, honest questioning, and self-directed research.

You learn and are tested because of the real world which you face every day. That world is not always nice and neat; that world doesn’t always abide by the Golden Rule; that world doesn’t always think that you are wonderful and deserve a medal.

So…does God test us? Yes. Are all tests from God? No. Then, how will you know the difference? You may not be able to discern at first, but keep this thought in mind—God is a good God, and the devil is a bad devil. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). If you encounter a test that falls into the category of stealing, killing, or destroying, then you are safe in assuming that the test is not from God. But fear not—He’s already equipped you to face any trial that comes your way. Remember, the goal of good instruction supported by wisely-developed tests is to prepare you for victory over whatever comes your way via the real world or the devil himself.

When trials do come your way, use the clear lessons you’ve learned in the Word, pray for wisdom, and know that the Teacher is within you. He’ll walk you through every part of the test and teach you as you move through its sections. Understand that what you’re facing, He has already faced—and conquered.

God tests us by His Word to do His Word. He does so to equip us to respond according to His Word when tests come from a different source—a decidedly sinister source.

Be confident in the One with whom you are connected. He has gone before you, He has conquered death, hell, and the grave on your behalf, and He will never fail you or forsake you.

When the tests come, the Teacher is on duty inside of you. Lean with confidence upon Him and you will pass the test.

Dorothy

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4

The demands of connection

Posted by Admin on Mar 20, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on The demands of connection

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him. Psalm 4:3

That snowy morning I spent time reviewing my part of the connection with God. I saw some gaps that needed to be “caulked” with a more focused pursuit of the Lord. I realized that I had been slacking off in the time I spent before the Lord, and I needed to draw more closely to Him to seek and enjoy His presence with undistracted abandon. A demand had been placed on my end of this connection—a demand to be more purposeful in my pursuit of Him. And I was happy to do my part to connect more tightly again.

In healthy relationships, both parties typically understand the need to spend focused, undistracted time with the other. And this intentional set-aside involvement is considered a “demand”, even if it is an enjoyable one. Most Christians understand that our primary job as believers is to seek God and to worship Him regularly. This is a “demand” that is placed on our end of the connection.

And yet that is just our side of the connection. On His end, He absolutely delights in our fellowship and savors our worship. But over and over again in the Word of God, He lets us know that He desires each of us to place demands on Him, as well.

One of the most incomprehensible attributes of God to many people—maybe even you—is that He desires and even delights in having demands placed upon Him. Now, He’s not a Sugar Daddy, a genie, or an ATM and will not be treated as such. But He is a loving Father who cares tenderly and very deeply for each one of us.

And hence, when the psalmist declares, “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him,”  you can be assured that He not only hears you when you call to Him, but He delights in that connection, as well.

Consider the contrast of the wicked: “Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord” (Psalm 14:4, NIV; emphasis added). A key characteristic of ungodly men and women is their refusal to humbly recognize their need to call upon God for His divine help. Evidently they think that placing a demand on the God of the universe is beneath them.

But as for you who know Him—or who would like to know Him—He is ready and waiting for you to place the demands of your life upon Him. He will lovingly take those demands and transfer to you the wisdom you need and then work out the rest in His own sovereign, supernatural way.

“…the…Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (see Romans 10:12-13). The Lord has committed to richly bless anyone who calls on Him; even salvation is accessed by calling on His name. You call; He provides. Never again think that you bother the Lord.

The psalmist wrote, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High,” a clear delineation of the human end of the connection between God and man (Psalm 50:14). Your part is to openly thank God and follow through with your commitment to Him. But then the psalmist wrote prophetically concerning God’s end, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:15; emphasis added).

Again, He beckons you to call on Him—even on the worst day of your life. And the Creator and God of all things has commanded you to place a demand on Him. He urges you to completely and one hundred percent look to Him to deliver you. And His part of the connection is this: He will rescue you.

Here’s the kicker: You bring honor to God because He rescues you. And that’s the way He set it up! When you encounter trouble, you cry out to Him; and He delivers you. That brings Him honor. What a deal!

No matter what life, the devil, or people throw at you, your part is to call boldly upon God. His part is to hear you and rescue you; and in all of this, you honor Him.

As you draw near to God, don’t neglect to place a demand on His great power and saving provision. In this way, you will minister to His Father’s heart and you will honor Him.

Dorothy

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. Psalm 34:6

The greatness of His power us-ward

Posted by Admin on Mar 19, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on The greatness of His power us-ward

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephesians 1:18a; 19b

That snowy morning God spoke to me quite a bit about my part of our relationship and how to recognize looseness on my end of that connection with Him. But connections run two ways—He reminded me about His commitment to do His part, as well.

It would be absolutely impossible for us humans to be personally accountable if God refused to uphold His end of the connection. We could try—but we would fail again and again. But because God is God; because He is good; and because He is gracious, He provided His Son as an atonement for our sin so that through Jesus, we could be empowered to walk in newness of life and to receive the grace necessary to sustain a close connection with Him.

The apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…” In order to access anything, it is beneficial to know that it exists and is available. Someone may have set hundreds of thousands of dollars aside in an account for you, but if you don’t know about it, the money just sits there—unknown and unaccessed—while your financial needs pile up, unmet.

Along with other momentous truths, one thing that God wants you to know is this: that His power is surpassingly great toward you who believe. I like how the King James Version says it: “…that ye may know what is… the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe”. The exceeding greatness of His power is “us-ward”. In other words, you can read it this way: God has locked and loaded the exceeding greatness of His power me-ward—and He’s not afraid to use it!

All of “the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power” (Amplified) is focused on you, and God is more than willing to unload it on your behalf. He wants you to become so intimately knowledgeable about His willingness to use His power “you-ward” that it will be as natural for you to trust Him as it is to breathe.

Everything in your life; everything in your heart, mind, and personality; everything that has anything to do with you is something about which you can access the exceeding greatness of His power “you-ward”.  In fact, your end of the connection with the Lord can be made snug and secure only because His end of the connection provides the power to make it secure.

When you were little, you learned your ABC’s and math facts by repetition. You learned how to tie your shoes and ride a bike through trial and error—through practice—over time. You may have thought at first that “el-em-en-o-pee” was a big, fancy letter; you may have computed 2 + 3 to equal six every now and then; you may have hopelessly knotted your shoelaces a time or two; and you probably wiped out while learning to ride your bike a few times. But with every miss, you got up and tried it again. And eventually, you conquered.

Have you suffered a couple or so “misses” while seeking to receive from God? Take a lesson from “little you” and get up and keep on going. Don’t let your past failures—whether through misinterpretation, miscalculation, misunderstood instructions, or unbalanced attempts at moving ahead—steal from you the joy of your salvation. The Lord remains the same; His mercy endures forever; and His power will always be you-ward.

So get back up. Say those ABC’s. Calculate that math fact. Tie that shoe. Ride that bike. And trust God once again. He will make things clear; He will illumine your darkness; He will not fail.

And pray. Pray for the eyes of your heart to be enlightened to know—to really know—what is the surpassing greatness of the power of His connection “you-ward”. This is a prayer He delights in answering.

Dorothy

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Connection—even when you don’t get your way

Posted by Admin on Mar 18, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on Connection—even when you don’t get your way

After leading the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses learned that God would not allow him to enter the Promised Land. Faithful Moses had disobeyed the directive of God at Meribah, and as a result, the Lord revealed to him that neither he nor Aaron would be crossing into Canaan with the rest of Israel.

Here’s what happened. Miriam, Moses’ sister, had just died, and the Israelites, after journeying relentlessly for decades, came to Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin. They were weary, hungry, and thirsty—and utterly miserable. “The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, ‘If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink’” (Numbers 20:3-5).

It’s bad enough to be around angry, contentious souls when you can feel your car keys in your pocket, ready and waiting to facilitate your escape. Moses and Aaron had no such recourse. They sought God; He revealed the plan.

“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink” (Numbers 20:8).

Moses took the rod, and instead of speaking to the rock, he beat it with the rod, like the Lord had commanded long ago at Rephidim (see Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).

To us humans, the difference between speaking to a rock and striking it may seem like no big deal, but in God’s eyes, Moses was disobedient. He had chosen to approach the command of the Lord his own way.

Although hundreds of rich and meaningful sermons have been preached concerning Moses’ choice at Meribah, I don’t want to focus on any of these worthwhile topics: his poor decision; the difference between speaking to and striking the rock; the symbolism involved; or the consequences of Moses’ disobedience. Instead, I want to look at the solid connection between the Lord and him despite Moses’ failure to obey.

You see, Moses’ relationship with the God of Israel did not end at Meribah. God continued to lead Moses, to provide for Israel, and to do the miraculous among them. Unlike some Christians who cut others off after being offended, God did not give Moses the cold shoulder from then on. No, He remained faithful to the man of God, and Moses maintained his connection to the Lord despite the heartbreaking consequence of his disobedience.

This is a huge and all-encompassing lesson to learn in your walk with God. What do you do when things flat-out don’t go your way? How do you approach life and your relationship with the Lord and others from that time forward?

Consider Moses. His heart’s desire was to lead God’s people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Even after that fateful day at Meribah and the stunning pronouncement of the Lord, “…you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (see Numbers 20:12), Moses continued to lead the people and to serve God faithfully. And before his death the man revealed that he had pleaded with the Lord, “Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25), but God, the God to whom he was connected, said, “Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan” (see Deuteronomy 3:26-27). God allowed Moses to see the desire of his heart; he was not allowed to enter. Moses chose to cling tightly to God, nonetheless, and died, leaving behind the overarching testimony of faithfulness to the God who loved him.

God is not unfair; He is righteous in all that He does. And when things don’t go the way you had hoped; when the desires of your heart remain unmet; when it seems that everyone else is blessed but you, what will you do? Will you throw in the towel? Will you leave it all behind? Moses could have—but didn’t.

Sometimes we don’t see the forest for the trees. Have you ever been so distracted by all the little pieces to the faith-puzzle that you missed out on the big picture of God’s never-failing, abiding love? Has your desire ever grown to be so all-consuming within you that it even overshadowed the Lord Himself? Was the direction you insisted upon going second- or third-best (or much worse), and all the while God was urging you elsewhere? Often what seems to be God’s rejection actually stems from our own frailty and human thinking—not recognizing the leading of His love and care.

Don’t let the disappointments of life or failures in faith unravel your connection with the Lord. His love toward you never fails; He is faithful to you till the end; and He is both your anchor and your high tower when everything around you falls apart.

If things don’t go your way, recognize this: You are connected to Someone far greater than all the blessings you could ever desire all wrapped up and tied together in a massive bundle. You are connected with the One whose love is better than life itself (see Psalm 63:3).

Let your attitude be this: Nothing shall ever be able to separate me from my tight connection with the Lord—including not getting my way.

Dorothy

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Don’t drift away

Posted by Admin on Mar 17, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on Don’t drift away

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1

Before I dove into the devotionals that snowy morning, this verse from Hebrews came up within me, along with a portion of verse 3 from the same chapter: “…how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

I understand by experience that drifting can be dangerous; I’ve been on enough float trips on Missouri streams to know that if I don’t use my paddle skillfully and watchfully, the canoe drifts wherever the river takes it. Drifting is especially hazardous during high waters following the spring rains; trust me—been there, done that. Sure, it can be relaxing and more “chill” to settle back and just let the river do its thing, but on more than one occasion, simply drifting along has resulted in getting caught in the rooty snags of fallen trees, capsizing the canoe, and losing coolers, eyeglasses, car keys, or wallets!

You can always get a new pair of glasses or set of keys; wallets and their contents can be replaced; and usually you can fish your cooler out somewhere downstream.

But Hebrews speaks of a different kind of drifting. Hebrews speaks of drifting nonchalantly away from your connection to the Lord. This sort of drifting is the effortless floating away from the things you’ve learned in your relationship with Jesus. This type of drifting occurs with ease when you neglect what you’ve heard, seen, and received in the Lord.

And this kind of drifting can get you into trouble. Snags, snares, and snafus await drifters at every bend, ready to snatch oblivious floaters. Quite honestly, the Word is clear: such neglect of your connection with Jesus has consequences (see Hebrews 2:2).

Then I read Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest entry for that day, and he wrote, “Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life?” (See http://utmost.org/have-you-felt-the-pain-inflicted-by-the-lord/.)

Oh great, I thought, let’s read about pain. But when God fingers issues in your life, it is the sign of His tender love for you, not disdain or disgust. Hebrews 12:6 states, “For who the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (NKJV). And verse 11 addresses the pain of correction: “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (emphasis added).

In fact, the writer of Hebrews also insisted that if you never experience the uncomfortable touch of discipline or correction in your walk with Jesus, then you are illegitimate—you’ve never been born of God (see Hebrews 12:8).

As much as most of us don’t enjoy owning up to our flubs, flaws, or failures, nevertheless, the way of discipleship, the way of growth, and the way to yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness in your life involves just that—owning up to your flubs, flaws, and failures as you become aware of them.

So what was the Lord correcting me about? I had grown lax in giving Him first place in my day. I had allowed gadgets and media to consume my time before I gave Him a chance to speak, and as a result, I was actively laying a foundation of distraction to start my day. Betcha I’m not the only one dealing with this issue!

When you give God the right to correct you, you submit to Him. And as you do so, He can build upon that foundation, brick by brick, the scaffolding and structure of your life, and then He can direct the flow of the river within you to accomplish great things through you.

Yield to the training of His discipline; it will produce in you the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Dorothy

Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you. Psalm 32:9

The morning connection with God

Posted by Admin on Mar 14, 2014 in Connection | Comments Off on The morning connection with God

O God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
“Step by Step” © 1991 BMG Songs, Inc. / Kid Brothers of St. Frank Publishing / ASCAP / All rights reserved

One of the most profound disciplines I’ve bought into over the years is that of seeking God in the morning. I’d love to say that I’ve been consistent with this practice day by day, week by week, year by year, over the span of nearly forty years. Unfortunately, I cannot say that.

I can say this. The Lord taught me the value of seeking Him first thing, and as a result, I’ve almost always had some sort of fellowship with Him before I head out the door.

Like most of you, I’ve gone through ebbs and flows with the Lord in the mornings. More than once, when carnality and chaos seemed to rule the day, He would gently remind me, “Seek Me now—and give Me first place in the morning.” And every time He redirects me after I’ve been “too busy” to start my day in the Word and prayer, I pull myself out of bed the next day, find my Bible, a pen and paper, and start reading and talking to Him. Without fail, He shows up and highlights Scriptures and wisdom to my heart.

After a season in my life when I flirted with some carnality, the first thing God led me to do was to reestablish my time with Him in the morning. I purposed to set aside 6:30-7:00 before I left for work to spend time in the Word and prayer. (I had consistently prayed for longer periods of time as a younger believer, but I had to start over again with what I could realistically do. I’ve observed that sometimes we put bigger goals before ourselves than we can handle; when we fail, we give up. Start small; conquer that, and then increase as the Lord leads.)

As I remained faithful to my half-hour with God, the peace, revelation, joy, and blessing flooded back into my life. It always amazes me how God shows up when I obey Him.

I was one of those backwards things who didn’t have a lot of technology in my home. Well, when I finally went online, let’s just say I was swept away. You see, I love to study and think and learn about what’s going on in the world, and I discovered that every morning I had all of the world’s issues laid out before me with a click of a button. Of course, I’d pray and seek God, but something just didn’t feel right.

Clear as a bell, in March of 2010, the Lord told me, “Don’t even look at the news until after you’ve spent time with Me each morning.” And again, when I put my hand to the seeking-God plow first thing in the day, peace, revelation, joy, and blessing flooded back upon me in even greater measure.

And then I got my first iPhone less than a year ago. (Told you I was technologically backwards.) I learned how amazing it was—an alarm clock, email, news, weather and so much more—all at my fingertips! And what do you know, but I started checking my emails first thing (I’m not on Facebook, or I would be checking that, too) and one thing led to another, and I had journeyed around the world, to international meetings and crime scenes before I even got out of bed! Several conspiracies were unfolded before my eyes and I even learned about all of the sales waiting for me on everything from storage cabinets to cat food.

Oh, I would pray—way later in the morning—and feel about as spiritual as an empty potato chip bag.

And conviction came over me again. Lord, I’ve let go of what You told me in 2010. I’ve put all this other stuff before You. I need help!  And it all happened on that snowy morning I told you about.

I knew I would hear from God if I opened up my devotionals, and right there in Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, I read, “Be ready in the morning, and come up…present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee” (Exodus 34:2,3; KJV).

In the morning. God had spoken again. Not only did He want me to present myself to Him each day, but He also said this: “And no man shall come up with thee.” Not emails, not the news, not the forecast, not sales, not the latest conspiracy—no man shall share that time slot which I have reserved just for the two of us, I sensed Him saying to my heart.

“And no man shall come up with thee.” That man—my iPhone—and the other man—my laptop—now stay in another part of the house when I go into the early morning secret place with God.

As you can see, for such an intelligent person, I’ve been a slow learner. But oh, the joy of connecting with God in the morning before the world around me clamors for attention! Nothing that beckons for my notice can compare to the sweetness of early morning fellowship with Him.

Top of the morning to you!

Dorothy

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Proverbs 8:17; KJV