The Gift of Today

 In going over some old posts from our family blog,

I came across this article I had written a while ago. 

Lately, my days have been so busy,

the weeks and months flying by, that a day goes by

without me really thinking about the gift from God that each day is. 

I stumble through each day, discontent when things don't go

the way I had planned, grumbling and questioning why life

is so hard. Frustrated at the wasted hours and minutes. 

But when I choose to see each day as a gift from God's hand,

my uplook changes my outlook. Read on. 

What will you do with the gift of today? The gift you hold in your hand?

Do you realise that every day is a gift from God? Every day, we make a choice as to how we will use our day. What we will fill our day with. How we will spend it. Did we just step over it while busy chasing around after our children? Did we step over it on our way to bettering our career? Did we step over it while worrying over the future?

Today IS the future. What you do today has a great impact on your future. When we will fill our precious day with things of eternal value, it's like a bank up in Heaven receiving a deposit. Gaining interest. But every day we take for granted, is a day wasted.

We need God's wisdom each and every day to know how He would have us use our time. What does God want us to fill our day with? What is His plan for our day and how would He have our day ordered? God's ways are not our ways and it's good to remember that although we may have our day all planned out, God often has a different idea, a better idea, a 'bigger picture' idea that would have us totally change our busy schedule into something that has eternal value.

I'm more guilty than anyone in not liking my little 'day plan' rearranged. But, I've found that when I let the Lord order my day, it turns out so much better than my pitiful little attempt at planning. If today is a gift from God, shouldn't we let Him choose the gift and how He wraps it? 

In our ongoing pursuit of a healthier lifestyle, Dave and I have found that if we eat a hearty meal at the start of the day, we can go on the strength of that meal for hours. But, if we fill our bellies with 'fairy floss', we are soon hungry and disappointed.

I see it as the same with our day. If we stop to fill our 'tank' in the morning, with God's Word and time spent with Him, we can go on that strength for hours, continually going back in our minds to what we learnt and read. We keep chewing it over throughout the day, gaining strength from His promises and wisdom from His Word. But, on the other hand, if we start our day by reading the news, or checking our emails first thing, we've started our day on fairy floss. Now, I LOVE fairy floss, but even I know that it doesn't sustain. No amount of 'fluff' is going to have the stickability that the Word of God will have in your life.

So, as you start out your day, STOP and take time to listen to how God would have you use it. Remember that each and every day is a gift from God, that He has the right to take it away at any time. He is the giver of life. He is the keeper of our days. 

Today is a gift from God. Let's use it for His glory.

In looking for the lyrics to a well known hymn I came across this poem by C. T. Studd.

I think he sums it up very well.

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, 

Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice;
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score; When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

New Roads

When things don’t go the way I planned, I want to believe that it’s only temporary, and that life will soon return to ‘normal’. But what if the road you are now on, is the new normal? What happens when God creates a ‘detour’ that is actually the new road?

We all want our ‘detours’ to be just that. Temporary changing of our nicely laid plans, to be returned to the way they were once the little time of testing is done.

But God doesn’t follow our plans. Our plans are flawed. We are short-sighted. We don’t have God’s perfect vision. We can’t see so far ahead as to know what may lie in our path.

When God puts us on these new roads, we question Him. We can’t understand why He would choose to take us down a bumpy, windy, narrow and dangerous road. We long for the ease of the ‘old road’. In our minds, we are certain that the old road was the good road. The old road was paved with ease. If only God would get us off this wild detour and give us back our old road. “Surely this is just a detour, Lord?” And we hear His soft answer, “No, my child. This is now the road.”

Why is it we remember the old roads as being so easy and so ‘normal’? Have we forgotten the giants we faced while travelling that road? Why do we remember them better than they actually were?

When the Israelites were wandering in the desert, they began to question God’s love and His ability to provide. They remembered only the good things about the Egypt they had been delivered from.

Numbers 11:5-6

 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

But they had forgotten something very important. They had forgotten that in Egypt, they were slaves! There they were, complaining about not having garlic and leeks, and longing for the Egypt they remembered, somehow forgetting the part about being slaves!  What kind of memory is that? Had they forgotten the many times they cried to God to deliver them out of slavery? Their lives in Egypt were far from perfect.

But, are we any different than the grumbling Israelites? Do we choose to grumble and complain about the circumstances God puts us in and forget all the blessings He has showered upon us?

The new road God has us on may seem hard and it may seem unfair. But God has a purpose for each and every road He asks you to take. The old road may have seemed less bumpy, but the new road will lead you closer to Him.

Often, when life is easy, we neglect to notice our surroundings. We rush blindly on, oblivious to what is around us. The bumps in the road cause us to stop and to seek God more wholeheartedly. The twists and turns drive us closer to the Lord. We cling to Him as we know that it is only Him that can help us through.

On a personal note, I know a little of new roads and unending detours.  Last year, God took me on a road I thought would never end. He took me through a time of darkness that was so dark I could almost feel the inky blackness. I cried out to Him continually. I didn’t want to be on this new road He had me on. I wanted everything to return to the old way. I resisted, I fought, I cried. I asked for deliverance repeatedly and yet, it didn’t come. I longed to return to normal again. I wanted out. I didn’t want this trial.

God had me on a very difficult road. But He knew that I needed to be on that road. He knew I needed to draw closer to Him than ever before. He knew that by taking me down this new road, I would never be the same. I would seek His face. Morning, night and noon. All day long. I would run to the Rock. I would be driven to Him. I would need him as never before, and when it was all over, I would be walking closer to Him and I would have a deeper relationship with Him than I could ever had imagined. I would have new promises from the Word of God to cling to when the waves threatened to overwhelm me. I would have a stronger set of armour to defeat the Devil’s attacks. I would understand more about the things we wrestle with and the importance of being armoured with God’s armour.

Ephesians 6:12

 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

But God in His love and is compassion didn’t leave me there in that dark place. He brought me through. He was there beside me the whole time. Anytime of night or day that I cried out to Him, He was there. Listening. Answering. Loving. His promises held true. The strength He gave me enabled me, with His help, to fight off the attacks of the Devil. To let the Devil know that he has already been defeated and he will never win.

He led me through the way I didn’t know. Through paths I had not travelled. Down a road that was to become my new road.

Isaiah 42:16

 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

We all know that hindsight is a wonderful thing. I only wish we could have better sight during our trials. But really, if we knew what God had instore for us in the future and the difficulties He would have us face, we would just lay down and die right there and then.

God and God alone knows what He wants you to face and He knows how much you can bear. And even when you are sure you can’t handle anymore, He gives more grace and enables you to take that next step. One foot after another. Step by step. Moment by moment. He will bring you through.

God wants you to remember His goodness. Remember His promises. His love.

Psalm 77:10-12

 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

These verses were a comfort to me during my long road. I had to daily make a choice to remember the works of the Lord. I had to make a choice to meditate on them.

And now, coming through to the other side, I have even more to remember. And I have more to share with others. God has helped me to become more sensitive to others’ needs. To show more compassion. To show more love. To desire to reach down a hand and lift the fallen. Where once before I may have shown a callous indifference or even a judgemental attitude to those in dark places, I now see them with different eyes. Eyes that have been opened through hard times. Eyes that now can see what they couldn’t see before.

2 Corinthians 1:4

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

There are so many verses in the Bible that I would love to share with you. God sees what you’re going through. It doesn’t matter if no one else knows the struggles you’re facing. God knows. He sees. He orchestrates. Trust Him. Let Him lead you through. Let Him be the light you follow. Psalm 23 still holds true today as it did in David’s day.

Psalm 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

 Don’t let the thought that your detour is your new road be a discouragement to you. Take it as a challenge. A challenge to deepen your relationship with God. A time to draw close to Him. A time to learn. A time to grow and a time to share what God has brought you through.

New roads don’t have to be feared. They can be faced with courage!

Psalm 46:1-11

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

He Brings Peace 

“Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting 

a battle you know nothing about”

I read this quote this morning and began to think about the pity parties that we often hold as women, mothers and wives.

We bemoan our lot in life and we are sure that no one else is dealing with what we’re dealing with. No one else is struggling with poor health or disobedient children or home schooling dramas or a myriad of other issues. We wallow in self pity and grumble while waiting for things to change. “Why me?” rolls off our lips and our lives are filled with disappointment.

We all so often take our frustrations out on those around us. Even on people we don’t even know, by our attitudes and lack of concern.

But we forget that everyone around us is fighting a battle of some sort, and we need to show compassion, despite how we feel or what is going on in our own lives.

How quickly we are to complain. We conveniently forget God’s extravagant blessings.

We all struggle. We all have worries. We all have hard days. We all face disappointment. But we are not the only ones struggling.

We may feel our lives are harder than everyone else’s, but we don’t always know what others are going through. We don’t know the battles they’re fighting. We are not responsible for their reactions to their problems, but we are responsible for ours!

We will answer to God for how we handle the situations He brings into our lives. We need to stop and do a reality check and get things back into proper perspective.

I’m repeating myself I know, but I need the continual reminder to thank God for the blessings. Thank Him for ALL things. Not just the surface blessings, but the blessings we have as Christians. Salvation. Forgiveness of sins. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The promise of Eternal Life and countless other assurances from the Word of God. Our cups are full to overflowing with blessings which should cause our hearts to overflow with gratefulness. And as children of God, we have even more to be thankful for.

Although we don’t understand the things the Lord brings into our lives, we can trust in His perfect character and His perfect will and know that it is good and that He will use it for our good and His glory.

Choosing to focus on the positive instead of the negative, the blessings instead of the trials, is a decision we all have to make. We have a choice to make and we are the ones responsible for that choice. We make a deliberate choice to push anger and worry and self-pity away.

Knowing that God can use trials to refine us and make us stronger can bring peace and calm to our troubled hearts. Choose to recognize that no matter what happens, God can use your trial for your good and for His glory.

His Grace is sufficient. Our strength is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9

 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Ask God to redirect your emotions. Ask Him to help you to trust Him more. Ask Him to bring beauty from ashes.  A garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Isaiah 61:3

 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

The Lord can and will work through the trials to bring forth good. But we need to remember that others are fighting battles too, and we are not alone. We need to realize that others struggle, and a pity party is not going to fix anything. Only looking to the Lord for help and direction will bring the peace we crave.

"He Giveth More Grace"

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as the labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will up bear.

Annie J. Flint

One of Those Days 

Yesterday, I had one of those days. One of those days where everything seemed to go wrong. Nothing huge, nothing life-changing, but just a lot of little things.

The sweet treat I tried to make for my hubby (that never fails), failed. The slice that took longer to cook in the oven than it usually does. The coffee grounds made a mess all over my counter. The car I wanted to take out to run an errand, was blocked in by other cars, which meant a trip back upstairs to get the other keys. My desire to be able to be home most of the day turned into 6 trips to town and nothing much accomplished on the home front. Dropping a wet, freshly washed item in the dirt as I was hanging the washing. Pegs breaking in my hand from being brittle from the sun. And I think you get the picture.

Do you ever have one of those days? You start your day off well. You spend time in God’s Word. You take time to pray and seek His guidance and ask for His blessing for your day, and yet, it all falls apart.

Now, often when I am faced with these days, my tendency is to have a bad attitude, and grumble and complain about the terrible state of affairs. To turn towards self-pity and hope that will someone will join my pathetic pity party and gripe along with me.

But, lately, I have been doing some studies on 12 disciplines of a grateful heart (see blog posts on holmestead7.blogspot.com/). In studying through them and looking into the verses in scripture that encourage thankfulness, I have been convicted that an attitude adjustment is in order.

Not only do I need to change my attitude, but I need to rejoice in these small trials.

If I just turn the little annoying upsets on their head and look at them from a grateful heart perspective, everything changes.

Take the sweet treat for hubby for instance.  I praise God that I had the ingredients and the kitchen appliances needed to make it (and after all, I turned it into something else, and he loved it so much, that it was good it didn’t work out how I had originally planned).

The coffee grounds? Well, I’m just glad I have a coffee machine and the ability to make fresh coffee at home instead of making yet another trip to town to spend money on this luxury.

The car blocked in? Well, praise God we have more than one car to be able to run errands in!

My 6 trips to town? Well, one of those trips allowed me time with my beautiful granddaughters that I wouldn’t have had that day had my plans gone ahead.

Dropping clean washing in the dirt? Well PRAISE GOD I have a washing machine to rewash it, and I don’t have to trudge all the way down to the creek to get a bucket of water to handwash my clothes!

And pegs? Well, I’m glad I have them, although they break, they are very handy little items that keep ALL my washing from flying through the air and onto the ground!

Do you see what I’m getting at? A continual heart of gratitude. An attitude of thankfulness. Turning things upside down and looking at them another way. Instead of seeing our trials as burdens, seeing them as blessings.

Our low points can be turned into high points! Our grumbles into gratefulness!

Now, I have a long way to go in this department, but I know that the Lord can and will work on my heart if I am willing to let him. And when I have one of those days and life gets me down, I have only to look at the blessings that He so freely gives, despite my sinful state, despite my grumpy attitude, and it should cause me to fall on my knees at His feet and give praise to Him.

Psalm 71:8

 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

Psalm 13:6

 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Habakkuk 3:18

 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

So, the next time you have one of those days, turn your burdens into blessings and start praising God for all the little things He does for you and you will find that your blessing list will be innumerable, measureless, and so abundant that the little things that bothered you will soon fade into obscurity in the face of such bountiful blessings.

Philippians 4:19

 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The One Thing

As Christian women, daughters, mothers, grandmothers, or whatever title you may have, we all know the struggle we face, each and every day, to make time to spend alone with the Lord. We all battle with feeling pressured, rushed and anxious. Never having enough time. Not enough hours in the day. We’ve all said it and we’ve all felt it.

William Penn once said, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”

We can become plagued with guilt over not having enough time to spend on our families, on our careers, on our hobbies, on our husbands. But what about not having enough time to spend on quality time alone with God?

Can we ever really say, “I don’t have enough time?”

Who decided how many hours in the day we needed? God. Who directs the sun and the moon and their rising and settings? God.

So, who are we to say we don’t have enough time? We know that it is a matter of choice and it’s a matter of priorities and what or who it is we put first on our list. We make time for what we love. 

We all know who it should be and what it should be. God is to be our highest priority. God must be our first love. He must be at the top. He must be the one we run to before anyone else. God is to be the foundation we build all other relationships on.

In our all too busy lives, we often neglect our relationship with the Lord. It gets put on the back burner. Yes, we’ve been redeemed, and we trust the Lord to supply our needs and protect our families. We give thanks for our food, we go to church, but how much time do we really give to God each day? How much time do we spend in prayer, in study, in reading His Word? In taking time out each day to spend with Him? Quietly meditating on His Word, listening for His voice, pouring out our hearts to Him?

For any relationship to flourish, we must spend time on it. We have to spend time talking with the person, getting to know them. If we want a closer relationship with God, we must spend time talking to Him in prayer, learning about His character thru the word of God, listening, waiting, obeying, loving, learning.

One passage in the Bible that I’ve read over many times is that of Mary and Martha. I have always felt like I could relate to them. Both of them. Mary’s heart and Martha’s hands. Yes, for most of my Christian life, I was more of a Martha than a Mary, but I’ve come to realise that both are needed. But, although they are both needed, there is ‘one thing’ that is needful, more than any other.

Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

In this passage we see the ‘one thing’. What is the ‘one thing’ you must do today? What is the one thing that is needed?

As mothers and wives, we are pulled in every direction. We have huge to-do lists. And the things on our lists are often very important, but the one thing I need to do today, the most urgent thing on my list, is to keep my relationship with God a priority. To sit at Jesus’ feet and hear His Word.

That one thing we need to do today and every day, is to pray and read the Word of God.  We can’t physically sit at Jesus feet, as Mary was able to do, but we have His word and we have prayer.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The Bible tells us in Matthew that we are to seek God first. First. Before our to-do list takes over. In order to develop a closer relationship with the Lord, He must be the one we go to first. And not only first, but regularly.

I love the verses in the Bible that encourage us to come to him often.

Psalms 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Even the Lord Jesus rose early to talk to the Father

Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

In the morning.

Psalms 119:62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

At midnight.

I often find that the wakeful times I experience in the middle of the night are some of my most profitable prayer times. There is nothing to distract me from communing with the Lord. Like the saying goes, “When you can’t sleep, don’t count sheep, talk to the Shepherd”

But, getting back to Mary and Martha.

Martha often gets a bad rap, but she was very hospitable. Jesus didn’t usually come alone- she had to serve the disciples as well. She was a hospitable host. Running back and forth serving. But cumbered. In verse 40, we read that Martha was ‘cumbered’

But Martha was cumbered about much serving

In the Greek, this word cumbered has the idea to “to drag all around” or “to distract”. She was dragged down with much serving. MUCH serving. Would less have been more? Could she have done more with less?

Often, ladies, we are dragged down with much serving. Running back and forth, in and out, over and under and so it goes. We are run ragged.

But where do we see Mary?  Mary is sitting at Jesus feet. It says that she “also” sat and heard His Word. So, others were sitting at His feet too. Why wasn’t Martha? Mary had chosen that ‘one thing’ that was needed, sitting at Jesus feet. Putting God first.                                                                

I have come to recognize that we need a balance of both Mary and Martha. Both are needed. There are times that we must be hospitable and serve others. We read of the Prov 31 woman and her servant’s spirit,

Proverbs 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

and we know that God looks on her with favour, but we also read that a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised. And that fear has to do with reverence.

Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Martha’s hands and Mary’s heart. Necessary in a women’s life. But the order is what’s important.  We must first sit at Jesus feet, and then rise to serve Him.

“We please Jesus most when we first sit at His feet and then stand to serve Him.”

Sitting, then standing. Priorities and progress.

My dad always used to tell our family, “Don't tune your instrument after the concert is over”. I never forgot that little saying. He was reminding us to make sure that we spent time with the Lord each and every morning, because we needed God's guidance for the day. It was too late at the end of the day. That's not to say that we shouldn't end our day with the Lord, but we need to make sure we start it with Him.  We need God to order our day from the very beginning and give us the strength we need at the start of the day, before the concert begins. Our day, being the concert, and we, the instrument. Our day goes so much better when we spend some time with the Lord first of all. Even before we get out of bed.

The one thing we must do, is to put God first. Then everything else will fall into place. That doesn’t mean your day will be perfect. God orders our days differently to how we order them.

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Starting our day out with him, puts God first.

God honours our time and helps us to be more productive, when we come to him first. We don’t have to control the day’s events. Hand them over to God and let him decide what’s best. Let God prioritize our lists of to-dos. Give our lists to God.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We need to find a quiet place every morning. A sanctuary. A place to get alone with God. God’s word is so important.

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.                                                                                                                              

For me, I created a prayer closet/war room, in our downstairs storeroom. There is no light and not much space on the concrete floor, and I sit on a pillow on top of a milk crate, surrounded by boxes of ‘stuff’, but it is a sanctuary, nonetheless. This is where I run to when I am in need of God’s presence and His comfort. It’s the place I go where I can cry aloud to Him. I am able to fall at His feet and worship Him.

Whatever and wherever you can find a place to make that time alone with God, do it. Create a space where you can get alone with God and bring your cares to Him. Getting into God’s Word is so important. The where is not so important to Him, but the when is.

In 2 Timothy we read about why Scripture is so important.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That word ‘inspiration’ literally means, God breathed. So, when we read God’s Word, it’s like getting a breath of fresh air from God. God breathes His life into us. I love that thought. God breathing His life into us when we feel like our energy, our drive, our get up and go has got up and gone. Receiving that breath of fresh air daily is just what we need.

We need to refuel from God’s Word. When we’re running on empty, how long has it been since we really got into the Word? It’s not enough to just get God’s Word from the Pastor on a Sunday. We need to top up. To refuel throughout the week.

Finding that sanctuary, that alone time with God, that place of quiet, is often difficult as busy women in this crazy, rushed world we live in. But, we shouldn’t dwell on our past failures, but press toward the mark, the goal, and start afresh. Every day is a new day. A new opportunity to start again.

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We pour our hearts into our families, and that's a good thing, but is it the best thing? Whatever it is that we pour our hearts into, whatever occupies our thoughts or becomes a priority in our lives over that of loving God, is something we are putting above God and it is unfaithfulness and sin.

Putting our husbands above God or our children above God or our clean house or our careers above God, will always lead to disappointment.

God says in Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

 And in Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

God has set the order for our priorities. God first. Everything else afterwards.

When our relationship with God breaks down, our relationships with people, break down.

The one thing we need is God’s Word, and the one person we need to put first, is God.

Our relationship with the Lord is of great importance. God is the foundation we build our lives upon. It needs to be a strong foundation. Developing a closer relationship with Him should be our utmost priority.

And so, I want to encourage you to make God your priority. Make your relationship with Him the most important thing. Everything else will crumble around you if you don’t take the time to work on this relationship. The Word of God is your life manual. And don’t neglect prayer. Prayer and the reading of God’s Word go hand in hand.

Reach for that ‘one thing’ that is needful today. For just a little while, somewhere in your day, forget about the many things and work on that one thing. Put your cares aside and spend time alone with the only one who knows all your troubles and can carry all your burdens.

If you would like to read more on the subject of finding that quiet place for your quiet time, please see our family blog and the article on Quiet Time.

http://holmestead7.blogspot.com/search?q=quiet+time