Journal 5-10-14

          Today is Monday morning and I am 2 days behind on my journal. Why? Because I had other things to do. I didn’t make time for the things that I should have. I did what I wanted to, not that those were bad things, but I feel guilty and I know that is God talking to me. If there is one thing in my life that I want to keep consistent it is my relationship with God. I am learning that my relationship with God is not something that just happens and continues. You have to work at it. You must spend time with Him. You must talk to Him, read His book, and listen to what He says. As I look at my weekend with my kids and friends I can compare my life to that and see just how easy it is to gradually slip out of the presence of God in our lives. I can also see how important it is for us to stay in the presence of God no matter what. I am not perfect and I know that I am weak when it comes to things I want to do instead of the things I need to do. The crazy part is I know that the Lord is my everything and He provides for all things. He makes all things happen. I am supposed to put my hope in Him. Why do I sometimes put Him on the back burner? Stuff comes first at times like my kids, friends, work, etc. I guess that is just human nature. My point is simply this, we have to work at staying close to God, it doesn’t just happen.
          I was reading in 2 Chronicles 7 this morning and it said “but if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you and go and serve other Gods and worship them, then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say ‘why has the Lord done this to this house and to this land?’ and then they will say ‘because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other Gods and worshipped them and served them. Therefore He has brought all this disaster to them.’” I want to make sure this does not happen in my life. I need the Lord and would be lost if I looked up one day and He was mad at me because I abandoned Him.

Prayer

Father God, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me, cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore me to the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. In Jesus name, amen

Thoughts:
Being close to God and living the Christian life is not something we decide to do one day and change. It is something we decide to do every day and slowly we get closer to the mark. It is a journey I think, not a destination.