A Little Shove

Two friends have told me that although my book review blogs were good, my best blogs are the ones where I share what God is teaching me or what is being revealed to me. This will be one of those kinds of blogs, and hopefully good!

A friend of mine and I are starting a study of the New Testament. I started blogging on the Old Testament survey study we did about a year ago and the same author, Bill Jones has come out with the companion book, Putting Together the Puzzle of the New Testament. I can't wait! Thursday night I had some quiet time alone. Greg was in the bedroom watching Flash Forward (too stressful for me), Kristen was at her drama rehearsal, Mark was at his college group so I had the living room to myself. Yeah!!!!! I love those times.

I was reading the introduction to the book, which is more like a summary of the book when I read a sentence that stopped me dead in my tracks and brought me to tears, remorse, and repentance.

Lately, as you know, I've been very busy. Work, Easter, VBS, etc. During that time, I missed about 6 quiet times in a row. That's about my limit anyway, before I sit down and catch up, which was also what I was planning on doing Thursday night. I know God is waiting for me to join him, but I also tell myself there is grace when I don't make it every day, and I do make up for it, sort of. God chose this sentence to get my attention:

There they struggled with the tendency of turning away from the living God who loves and cares for them and turning to gods made from the hands of the Canaanites.

I felt I was doing the same thing. I had a tendency that I struggled with - putting God on hold while I put other things first in my day. In so doing, I was choosing to turn away from the living God who loves and cares for me. I started to feel some of the pain that God must feel when we do this, when I do this. He loves and cares for me. All the time, no matter what. And yet I struggle with the tendency to turn away. How horrible of me. I turn to gods made from my hands - business, tasks, stuff all screaming, "I'm urgent!" But these things are not important. God is the most important thing I have.

I sat, I cried, I apologized over and over. I let the moment of correction wash over me, not wanting to hurry it, but to experience it fully.

Today I am 1 day behind. I need to do yesterday and today. Reading through the Bible in a year helps me keep on track, otherwise I have a tendency to let it go much more. The schedule is a tool to help me stay accountable, it is not a God. There is only one God, and He corrects me.

Have a blessed sunny Saturday.