Open thy Mouth Wide

(I came across an old post of mine that I thought needed re posting as good reminder of praying BIG)

Psalm 81:10

I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

There are many examples in the Bible of people praying BIG prayers. For example, take a look at Joshua.

Joshua 10:12-14 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

For some strange reason, in all my years of wisdom, cough cough, I never really realised that it was Joshua who asked for God to make the sun stand still. It wasn't that God just did it. It says that Joshua 'spake' and 'he said'. As in, Joshua asked God to make the sun stand still! Did you catch that? He asked for God to make the sun stand still??? My mind boggles at his faith in God. For him to ask such an enormous thing of God with hope and expectation of receiving it! 

Talk about praying BIG! And I thought some of my prayers were BIG!

Then take Elisha for example.

2 Kings 2:9-14 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

He asked a BIG thing and God granted his request. I would have loved to have been there as he smote the waters. I can just imagine the thunder in his voice as he cried “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?”. Ba Boom! And the waters parted and he went on to do double the miracles that his predecessor Elijah did.

God is pleased by our boldness in prayer. God is waiting to do great and mighty things. We read about the widow’s pot of oil and how she went out and gathered as many pots and vessels as she could, and God filled every last one of them. You know, if she had had more vessels, God would have filled them too!

So why don’t we put out more vessels for God to fill? Is it because of our lack of faith? Why do we put limitations on God?

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us

“Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask”. Wow! God is able to deliver but we are so weak in our faith, that we continue to ask little things of God and hesitate to ask the BIG things.

And then there's that little word 'if'. We tack that onto our prayers. Lord bless us with such and such, if you can Lord, if you will Lord. What! There is no 'if' about God's power. The only 'if' is whether or not you believe and have faith!

Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

John R. Rice put it like this:

“Small prayers are a sign of weak faith. Big prayers show faith in God. Big prayers, when answered, stop doubts and glorify God, strengthening Christians and convicting sinners.”

So, there it is. The end goal. To glorify God. What a testimony it is when a Christian is able to share an answer to a BIG prayer with the unsaved world. It shows God's great power. It shows that God is still in control. It shows that God is almighty and powerful and has no boundaries.

I love the verse of this song by Annie J. Flint:

“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”.

Can it be that the reason great things don't happen in our churches and in our homes, is because of our small, faithless prayers. We need to learn, me included, to pray expectantly, largely, with faith and God will answer.

Of course, we need to pray according to His will, but that's another subject that I've been learning about and would take a lot more writing and explaining so I'll leave it for another time.

But back to our original verse from Psalm 81:10, I read this quote:

“Our mouths are never full because we never open them wide”

Hmmm. Think on that for a while. I have been, and it's opened up an amazingly long list of prayer requests that I need to now start praying.

I'll leave you with the words of the apostles of old. It is something we all need to ask of God,

Luke 17:5 - And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Are You Doing With Today?

     Proverbs 27:1 - Boast not thyself of tomorrow;

 for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. 

The only preparation for the morrow is the right use of today. The stone in the hands of the builder must be put in its place and fitted to receive another. The morrow comes for naught, if today is not heeded. Neglect not the call that comes to thee this day, for such neglect is nothing else than boasting thyself of tomorrow. — G. Bowen.

What are you doing with today? With the next 24 hours God has given you? We never know if the next breath will be our last. I’m not saying this to depress you. No, I’m wanting to try and encourage you to think about how you use the time God has graciously and mercifully given to you. Each time you inhale and exhale and live to breathe again, is a blessing and a gift from God.

And each day, filled with numerous opportunities to show God’s love and be a testimony to a lost world, is a gift from God.

James 4:14 - Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Time is short. Life is short. And today is important. What you choose to fill your day with today impacts what happens the next day, and the next and the next.

We are reminded in scripture that our days are numbered and our life is like a vapour. What we do with our time is so important.

I recently wrote a post on making more time for God. And in my devotions this week, I came across the quote at the beginning of this article.

” The only preparation for the morrow is the right use of today……….”  

The only way we can prepare for the future and the days ahead, is by using today wisely. Which is why I say, what you choose to do or not to do today, will have a direct impact on what lies ahead. One day at a time. Making each and every moment count.

If I choose to fill my day with scrolling the internet, watching endless hours of Netflix, drinking coffee and only doing enough work to pay the bills, then the next day, or days, I’m going to have to play catch up.

Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t take a ‘chill’ day now and then. A day where we slow down the pace a little, take some time off, catch up with friends, do some online scrolling or whatever it is that you do to relax. No. I’m just saying that we should be mindful of the time we are spending on different activities and take care that we don’t prioritize the comfortable over the important.

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and I know that for me, I don’t want to live with regrets. I don’t want to regret not using my time better. I don’t want to get to the end of my days, wishing I could have a ‘do-over’ so I could spend more time on the important things. I want to make sure I fill my days with what God would have me do.

Priorities. Why does it always come down to priorities? It really does matter how we fill our days. It really does matter that I get God’s wisdom in organizing my days, letting Him arrange my days and prioritize my never-ending lists.

It might not seem that important, but a life is not that long, and if we are wives, mothers, grandmothers for those younger and less experienced than us, then spending our time wisely is all the more important. We have people counting on us, relying on us, looking up to us. They are watching how we spend our days. They are watching the example we are setting.

When we fill our precious days with things of eternal value, it's like a bank up in Heaven receiving a deposit. Gaining interest. Laying up treasures in Heaven. But every day we take for granted and every day we don’t give a thought to how we use it, is a day wasted. An opportunity wasted.

I recently installed a time tracker app on my phone to help me see where I was spending my time, and what a great revealer of truth it is! It has helped me see how much time I was wasting and where my priorities lay.

But, it’s also been an encouragement as I see my study time and reading time grow with the passing days. I find that when I am actually recording the time I spend doing various activities, I spend less on the frivolous and more on the important.

So, do whatever it takes to become more watchful over your time. Whether it’s an app or a list or a timer, guard your time and work on making more eternal deposits into the bank of Heaven by what you do with your days.

Colossians 4:5  - Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Ephesians 5:15-16  - See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Psalm 90:12  - So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

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 days 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.

Rise and Shine! 

Don’t Rise and Whine!

(This post is a summary of sorts from notes from my Ladies Bible Study lesson given on 13^th Feb. 2021, so they are not written out in as clear form as usual, but prayerfully, they will be a help, blessing and encouragement to you. Sorry for the length of the post, but if it was written with every word I spoke in the lesson, it would take you a lot longer to read it! If you want the whole lesson in detail, you’ll have to attend one of our Bible studies some time :) God Bless. And get out there and shine! )

 

Philippians 2:14-16 KJV - Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

In reading over the book of Philippians recently, I was drawn to a very familiar verse in scripture. Chapter 2 verse 14. Reading on, my eyes were opened to the reason, the why, of verse 14, found in verse 15, and it seemed to me, that God was leading me to do some more study on this passage as I realized the importance of knowing why it is we are told not to murmur and dispute.

First, let’s look at verse 14. The word ‘murmuring’ in the Greek literally means “a secret displeasure in the heart and a sullen discontent that leads to criticism”.

The dictionary defines is as 1. A low, indistinct, continuous sound: spoke in a murmur; 

                                                   2. An indistinct, whispered, or confidential complaint; a mutter.

Most of us translate this word murmur, into a word more relatable. We would call it complaining. And we usually don’t keep it at a murmur. We complain audibly and loudly at times.  I feel like the year 2020 may be titled, “The International Year of Complaint”.  How often do we complain? How often have we found ourselves complaining over the past year? Lockdowns. Closed businesses. Loss of jobs. And the list goes on. But on the flip side, how much do we have to be thankful for? Despite the difficult circumstances, we have been blessed beyond measure.

Let’s take a look at the book of Philippians. Where was Paul when he wrote this epistle? Righe. Paul was in prison or house arrest, while writing Philippians. And yet it is a book of joy. He begins the book by asking God to bring the church grace and peace and thanking them for their love.

Philippians 1:2-3 KJV - Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

He doesn’t begin by bemoaning his dreadful situation or telling them how miserable he is. How easy it would have been for him to murmur and complain. But no, he didn’t let his circumstances steal his joy.

What is it that dictates your joy? Is it your circumstances or is it Christ?

If we look down to chapter 4 and verse 11, we see the reason for Pauls ability to write with joy.

Philippians 4:11 - Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ...

Paul had learned to be content. Contentment doesn’t come naturally. It has to be learnt. The reason he could write a book of joy, despite his circumstances is that he had learned to be content.

Fanny Crosby was a hymn writer born in 1820. She wrote over 8000 hymns, many of which we sing regularly. Because of a doctor’s mistake at the age of 6 weeks, she became blind.  

At the tender, young age of 8, she penned this poem.

Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world contented I will be!
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don't!
So weep or sigh because I'm blind, I cannot - nor I won't.

What wisdom beyond her years!

About her blindness, Fanny said:

"It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."

If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind...for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour."

Today many of her hymns continue to draw souls to their Saviour for both salvation and comfort: " Blessed Assurance," "All the Way My Saviour Leads Me," "To God Be the Glory, " "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour," " Safe in the Arms of Jesus," "Rescue the Perishing," "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross," "I Am Thine, O Lord," and many more.

This is a woman who had learned to be content. She wasn’t murmuring. She knew how to be content with what God had brought into her life, and she didn’t let it stop her from praising and worshipping God.

A grateful heart will be revealed and expressed by thankful words, while an unthankful heart will manifest itself in murmuring and complaining. Our complaining shows that we have an unthankful heart. Our words come from our hearts and a complaining spirit reveals to all that we have an ungrateful heart.

So, what does God think about complaining?

God hates complaining. In 1 Cor 10, apostle Paul gives a list of sins: idolaters, fornicators, those who tempt God and MURMURERS! It’s included in this list. Who knew that murmuring was such a sin? Murmuring is listed alongside sins we see as very wicked and yet, God had Paul write it into the list to remind us that yes, murmuring is sin too!

He goes on to say that the sin of murmuring was severely punished.

1 Corinthians 10:10 KJV - Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

This is referring to the Israelites and God destroying many of them with a plague due to their complaining spirit.

Numbers 16:41, 44-45, 49 KJV - But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD. ...

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. ...

Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

Is God serious about this complaining business or what?

Another passage just to drive my point home is found in Numbers 11.

Numbers 11:1 KJV - And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

God definitely sees murmuring as a sin!

There is a bracelet made of rubber that you can purchase called a “Gripes be Gone” bracelet. The idea of the bracelet is that you wear it on one wrist and every time you find yourself complaining you take it off that wrist and put it on the other wrist, so that you are taking mental notes throughout the day or week of how many times you switch hands.

I've thought about doing something like that, but I think I need something a little more drastic! Like a rubber band on my wrist and every time I find myself complaining, I pull it real hard and snap it onto my wrist, leaving a red mark. The number of times I find myself complaining, I might very well have a very red wrist by the end of one day. I do like the idea though. Sometimes we need a painful reminder of all the times murmuring crosses our lips.

You know, it’s not just the complaining God hates, it’s the attitude behind the complaining. And did you ever notice that complaining never makes you feel better? A bad mood turns into a bad attitude and a bad attitude carried long enough becomes part of your character. You can become known for your complaining, whingeing spirit. Nobody wants to be around that.

Complaining is basically forgetting that God has delivered us. Having an ungrateful heart. Selfishness.  We have lost focus on what He has done for us and begun to dwell on what we see as the negative, everything that is wrong.  It’s the opposite of trusting. We have forgotten Romans 8:28.

The Israelites’ grumbling, turned what should have been an 11-day trip into 40 years of wandering in the wilderness because of their disobedience and unbelief and constant complaining.

Our actions and reactions will show the world who we trust in. Our testimony is so important and the world judges us more harshly then we judge ourselves and they will be quick to recognize a complaining and unthankful heart.

I love this little saying and I remind myself of it frequently.

“Your attitude is contagious – is yours worth catching?”

Complaining causes church splits – it’s contagious. Murmuring and gossiping divide. They do not bring unity.

The antidote/remedy for complaining is rejoicing. We can’t rejoice while complaining and vice versa. There is always something to be thankful for. Worship or whine. We can’t do both at same time. Thankfully, God can turn our whining into worship.

Psalm 30:11-12 KJV - Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

I found it interesting to note that the word murmur, and variations of the word is mentioned 39 times in the Bible, whereas the word rejoice, and variations of the word is 267 times in the Bible. Big difference! There is great importance placed on rejoicing in the Word of God.

Now, let’s look at verse 15 in Philippians 2

Philippians 2:14-16 KJV - Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Here is the why. Why should we do all things without murmurings and disputings?? So that we can shine as lights in the world. The reason we are not to complain and argue is so that we can be a testimony to a lost world. Not just because complaining is annoying. No! We do all things without murmuring to bring God glory.

The apostle Paul tells us that as sons of God we are to shine like the stars in a dark world. Just as the stars shine in the heavens, so are we to shine for the Lord. The word ‘lights’ has to do with being illuminators. It also refers to the stars and the heavenly bodies that shine. We are to make manifest or make clear the gospel and good news to all.

We are told to be lights in the world.

Matthew 5:14-16 KJV - Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Another verse in the book of Daniel tells us that we will shine as we witness to others.

Daniel 12:3 KJV - And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

There is a lot in the Bible on subject of light. Light is used to represent knowledge, truth and purity. Darkness is the absence of light. Darkness is used to represent evil, ignorance and sin. When people see us, they should see Christ. They should gain a better understanding of what God is like.

Have you noticed that the darker the night, the brighter the stars seem to shine. This world is dark. Our light should shine even brighter.

Remember: It’s not our light. The light we reflect comes from another source. Like the moon reflects the suns light, we are to reflect the Sons (S.O.N) light.

John 8:12 KJV - Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

It’s not all about us. It’s all about Christ and His glory. Jesus is the light.  We are just reflectors of His light. And when our lamps are all smoky and we let our testimonies get tarnished, we need to clean them up and repent, so that we can shine brighter.

How? We have to stay connected to the power source or we become weak and ineffective. We need constant recharging – walking and talking with God 24/7. Just like a mobile phone will slowly be depleted of its power and battery life, when it is unplugged from its power source, we too will run low on power if we are not in the Word of God daily, refreshing our souls and talking with the Lord and listening to Him speak to us. We have to recharge daily.

The devil doesn’t want us to shine. He would rather we were lukewarm and mediocre in our Christianity and our walk with the Lord. He wants the eyes of the lost to be blinded.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6  - But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But the great God who commanded the light to come into being, back in Genesis, is the same God who tells us to shine. He pours his light into our hearts and expects us to reflect that light back onto a dark and lost world.

So, where are we to shine?

It’s simple. Everywhere. Not just on Sunday as we worship together with other Christians. It’s easy to shine our light there, but what about during the week at our workplace, in the grocery store, in our homes? We have to have our light on a candlestick, for all to see.

Why are we to shine? 

So that God may be glorified. If we are joyful, and not complaining, we bring glory to God.

Blameless – free from fault or defect

Harmless – unmixed, pure

Without rebuke – cannot be censured, blamed or condemned.

We are to do all things without murmurings and disputings so that the world will see us as pure and blameless. So that they can’t fault our walk with the Lord. It’s a bad testimony when we complain and argue.

We are to shine so that others may come to know Christ as their own personal Saviour. The world is watching.

How are we to shine?

By NOT complaining or arguing. By keeping ourselves pure. By living is such a way that the world cannot condemn us. By not giving the world ammunition to shoot us down with. They are watching. By holding forth the word of life – witness in preaching the gospel and sharing with others (eg kindness, friendliness)

What are some ways to shine?

Keep your cool - James 1:19-20  - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Self-control is a fruit of the spirit and something we should strive to have. It is a good testimony. Keep cool under difficult situations. Don’t lose your temper.

James 4 tells us that wars and fightings come from our lusts and desires. Our wrong desires drive us to lose our self-control.

Watch your words – Ephesians 4:29  - Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Our speech will show where our heart is. We can tear down our testimony and dim our light by what we say and how we say it.

Luke 6:45  - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Stop worrying - Philippians 4:6, 8 KJV - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ...

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

“Worry is allowing problems and distress to come between us and the heart of God. It is the view that God has somehow lost control of the situation and we cannot trust Him”. 

By not worrying about things, the world can see that we are trusting God. If we let them know that we are not anxious because we have faith in God, it can be a real testimony.

Be Zealous for God’s Glory – Being zealous means burning with zeal (great energy or enthusiasm) It means to vehemently contend for something. To eagerly desire something. That being God’s glory.

We often see sports fans very zealous about the game. We need to be zealous for things of eternal value. Giving glory to God.

Titus 2:14 KJV - Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

We also need to be doing things for God. Not complaining. God told the Laodicean church to repent. They were not zealous. They were lukewarm.

Revelation 3:16, 19 KJV - So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. ... As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Don’t be afraid to speak out against wrong. If someone is preaching a different gospel, speak out against it.

Give comfort to those who are hurting – giving comfort to the lost will show them the love of Christ.  “People don’t care about how much you know, until they know how much you care”. The world will not listen to what you know until you are able to show them that you care about them and you love them.

Intercessory prayer- Praying for others and letting the unsaved know that you are praying for them and the difficulties they are facing is a way to shine and share God’s love.

Cheerfulness – Smile! Being cheerful, giving a smile and a kind word to those you meet on a daily basis can cause others to ask about the hope that lies within you. People are drawn to cheerfulness and what better way to show you are different and have an eternal hope than to share a smile.

In order to shine we need to be always seeking God’s glory not our own. We are to shine for Christ. Not for ourselves. Remember whose light we are reflecting. All glory must go to God.

We are ambassadors for Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV - Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

We represent Christ. What picture are we giving the world of Christ?

Are we complaining and arguing and tearing down our testimony and hindering the gospel because of the way we act? Or are we shining? Do our lives radiate God’s love to all we come in contact with?

Every day you make a choice. 

Rise and whine or rise and shine? 

The choice is yours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Do You Have the Time?

 

Do you ever use the excuse, “I haven’t time”? Yes. Every day. Every week. Every month. Guilty. It certainly seems to be my catch phrase of late.

In going through some old folders of mine on my computer last night, I came across this quote by a writer of old, Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest, and other books.

“We can hinder the time that should be spent with God by remembering we have other things to do. I haven’t time. Of course you have not time! Take time! Strangle some other interest and make time to realize that the center of power in your life is the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Well said, and yet difficult to do. I often find myself bemoaning the fact that I’m too busy and I haven’t time for hobbies I love or chores that need doing. But more often than not, I say I haven’t time for sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning of Him.

But do I actually, consciously, make time? Do I ‘strangle some other interest’ in order to spend time in God’s Word, meditating on the Words of Scripture, soaking in the promises, worshipping and praising our great Saviour?

What if we started saying, “It’s not a priority”, instead of, “I haven’t time”? Do you think that would change things?

 I’ll say that again in case you missed it. What if we started saying, “It’s not a priority”, instead of, “I haven’t time?”.  

Because that’s really what it is isn’t it? A matter of priorities. If we deny ourselves some of the pleasures we like to indulge in, put away our phone and our favourite feed, put down that book, that hobby, even that chore, just long enough to take time out to spend with the Lord, our lives would be blessed beyond measure.

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

We know that the Bible tells us to seek Christ first. To put God ahead of any other worldly pursuit, but boy is it hard to do at times.

I know that as wives and mothers and grandmothers, we are pulled in every direction and our time is not our own. We are grateful if we can even get 5 minutes alone in the bathroom, uninterrupted. (This is one of the reasons I suggest putting up verses of scripture and helpful quotes on the wall of your toilet)

Making time to have a quiet time is crucial. It’s a high priority. It needs to be done. If we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and if we are to become the women God would have us be, then making time for Him has to be at the top of our to do lists.

I’m not perfect, and as a young mother and wife, I failed in this area each and every day. I neglected my spiritual life as I struggled to keep up with day-to-day life. I thought that my children and my husband needed to be attended to first. They were clamouring for my attention from morning til night.  And yes, they are important, but we are commanded in scripture to put God first. If we do that, then He will make sure that we have the time we need for others.

It’s plain hard work to get up a few minutes earlier, or stay up a few minutes later, just to have a quiet time with the Lord, but after so many years of my failings, and finally re arranging my priorities, I have found God to be faithful to His Word, and when I ask Him to help me make time for Him a priority, and I do my part, He answers and gives me those little windows of uninterrupted quiet time in His presence, alone with Him.

We all live busy lives and some more than others, and no, we don’t have time. We have to make time. Make time, as in cause something to exist or come about. It doesn’t just happen.

I don’t have time to sew and bake and take photos and spend time with my grandkids, but you know what? I make time for those things when I want to because I enjoy them. I make the effort to put aside other things in order to do the things I love.

If you want to become a woman after God’s own heart and you want to grow in your spiritual walk, if you want to have something to share with others, some verse that’s been a blessing to you, then you have to make time. You have to grab it with both hands and not let it go. You have to make sacrifices.

We make time to do the things we love. We make time to do the things that are important. And isn’t spending time with the Lord something important? Shouldn’t our hearts desire to feed on God’s Word and to spend time in prayer and study?

Psalm 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Psalm 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Did you notice in the quote I mentioned that Christ is the center of power in our lives? He is the power source. If we are not connected to the power source, we become weak and ineffective. We need constant recharging. And the way to do that is to spend time with God. Be in the Word daily. Be talking with God and listening to Him. Just like a mobile phone slowly drains of its power when unplugged from its power source, so will we be drained of our power and usefulness when we are disconnected from our power source, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Stay connected and stay charged! Strangle those interests in order to make time for God. Put aside those things pulling you away from spending time with Him and make Christ the priority.

The Lord knows your needs and what time needs to be given to the things in your lives. He understands that we are not to neglect our families and loved ones and the lost world in need of a Saviour, but oh how much more effective we can be if we make the time to listen to Him.

Seasons of life change, and you will find that at different times in your life you’ll have less time and at others you’ll have more time to spend in His Word, but He will bless you with your widows mite if given in sincerity.

I pray that all who are reading this, myself included, will take this as a gentle reminder to make spending time with God a priority. And not just any priority, the highest priority. The most important part of each and every day.

Spending quality time with God will refresh you and inject power and energy and strength into you that will help you to get back up and keep going.

Stay connected to the power source and stay charged!