One of the things I have started to do is to make sure that I give the Lord the first fruits of my day. As I drive my son to school we pray together and put on our spiritual armor as depicted in Ephesians chapter 6. The armor makes sure we are girded up just as putting on our earthly clothes every morning keeps us from being naked, as my son and I speak out the different pieces of the armor we go through the physical motions of putting each piece on.
The helmet of salvation
The breast plate of righteousness
Around our waist we put the belt of truth
We shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel
We pick up our shield of faith and our sword of the Spirit
praying in the spirit on all occasions all kinds of prayers and request.
(Ephesians 6:10-20)
When you give the Father the first fruits of your day, you are essentially telling Him that you are giving the day to Him. "Kingdom of God come, will of God be done." After dropping my son off at school, I continue on to my office and anyone who would look at me through the window of my car would wonder what I am doing as I probably appear to be very animated, because this is my fruit fruits of the day - and it is the time when I am alone and able to spend quality time talking to my Father. I pray out loud as I drive. I focus solely on my conversation with Him. I bring to the throne of God praise and thanksgiving - as a breast cancer survivor of 7 years I still praise God and thank Him for every day that He gives me. We live and act like God "owes us" tomorrow... But He doesn't. EACH day is a gift. A fresh start! A new sheet of life to write on. I try my hardest to make every moment that I can count. To praise God and thank Him for the little things that we tend to overlook most of the time... For instance, have you ever gotten up early and taken a look at the sky? My goodness! What a "Good Morning" greeting God gives us! The sunrises that I have seen pretty much go hidden by those of us who are not morning people. We miss out. God awakens the sky with such vivid beauty. The proof of His Presence is ALL around us. Most of the time we are too distracted by life's business that we often miss out on such a symphony of Him... Often it takes my breath away and I have to ask Him for forgiveness for "ignoring" or "overlooking" the greeting He gives.... Or the times when I have sat in the backyard of my childhood home and listened to the chirping of various birds conversing back and forth to each other.... Or perhaps they are singing praises to God. I never realized how many different types of birds or chirps there are! It has made me chuckle to see the wild life go about their day - and my childhood home is in a suburb, I can't even imagine the beauty of each day in the country. God's witness is ALL around us. It will bless you if you take a moment to notice it.
Sometimes life has so much noise in it that it drowns out what God is saying to us. I know I often have a lot of noise in my head... I have to shush it and try to open up my ears to hear what God is saying to me. He desires to spend time with you - the Bible says:
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." (Revelations 3:20)
Determine in the plan of your day to spend time with your Father. He longs to spend time with you - He is just waiting for you to want to spend time with Him.... And here is the thing - it is for YOUR good! When I am obedient and I spend time with my Father it is ME who is blessed. It is ME who is encouraged. It is ME who is filled with the most incredible joy. That peace that passes ALL earthly understanding is real and the only way to go about experiencing it is to be obedient and make time for the Father. He is asking you to do it because He knows it will benefit YOU. There is a place inside each one of us that was created just for fellowship with Him. NOTHING else can take the place that hungers for the Creator. We are called to choose for ourselves whether or not we will have a personal relationship with God through His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. He has made the way already, we just need to walk in it. The choice is ours. When we do - we are blessed and encouraged and set free and living as God would want us to live - experiencing His love and His blessings. It is not something you can experience or do for someone else - they must choose to do it themselves. We have THIS day a choice. My challenge to you is to try it... TRY IT.
There is a book that I use to love reading as a child, it is one that I'm quite sure most of my readers are familiar with (if not - I suggest you read it for yourself) it is by Dr. Seuss and the Title is, "Green Eggs and Ham." The story is all about Sam. Sam is offered green eggs and ham and at every turn he sticks up his nose and refuses to try it. He has already determined in his mind that he does NOT like "green eggs and ham." Although his good friend continues to insist that he try it, Sam refuses. Over and over and over again Sam refuses to try "green eggs and ham." Yet finally, in complete aggravation over the constant insistence of his friend (probably to get him to shut up) Sam tries it - and what does he discover???? He LIKES "green eggs and ham." He not only likes it - He loves it! I say this to you because the Bible itself says:
"Taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psalms 34:8)
It even continues on to say:
"Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him." (Second sentence of Psalm 34:8).
You see? When we take refuge in Him - we are blessed!!! WE ARE BLESSED. Our Father knows what we need. We NEED HIM. And when we taste and see that He is good - WE are blessed!
Kind of makes me think of a parent trying to give a child medicine that will make him/her well and the child adamantly shaking his head and pushing the medicine away. God is the medicine that will heal us. TRY HIM. Taste HIM. SEE that the LORD is GOOD. You will be blessed once you do.
Trust is hard... Especially when and if you have been hurt by people in your life. It is hard to trust God won't do the same. God wants us to trust Him. He does not love as we love. If you have been hurt by people in your life - you need to go to the foot of His cross and bring that pain to Him. Remember, Jesus understands your pain. He was betrayed by those who loved Him. He knows what it is to hurt. Turn to Him. Let Him heal you. He is there. He is an "ever present help in time of trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
I am going to continue to find ways to show God I trust Him - why don't we both continue to find ways to "taste and see that the Lord is good?" And I am sure as was the case with Sam I am, We will be proclaiming to all of the world -
(Taken from "Green Eggs and Ham," by Dr. Seuss)
Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat!
And I would eat them with a goat...
And I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so good so good you see!
So I will eat them in a box.
And I will eat them with a fox.
And I will eat them in a house.
And I will eat them with a mouse.
And I will eat them here and there.
Say! I will eat them anhywhere!
I do so like
Green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am
Only - let's personalize it for the Lord. In doing so we have done what David did - made our own "psalm" :)
"Saaaaaaay.... I see how good You are!
I've finally tasted and seen - exactly what this scripture means!
I love You Lord - I do! And I decide to spend more time with You!
So I will come to You in prayer because I know You'll meet me there.
And I will worship You with song I recognize to You I belong.
You are So Good So Good for me - I truly now can see!
I will proclaim Your name so others will learn to do the same.
And I will praise You in my car
And I will love You near and far
And I will read Your Word it's true!
There is so much I long to do!
I do so love You Thank You So for bringing me into the Know!
Be glorified this very day! Thank You
Thank You
God I say!"
