Have you ever struggled reading your Bible?
Have you ever wondered how to ‘fit’ God into the busyness of the day?
Have you ever wanted to make devotion time truly become applicable, more than words on a page?
Have you ever limited God to only speaking, and meeting with you during your quote…’devotion time’.
I wonder, why we do this?
“God You’ve got 15 minutes this morning, start speaking, I need something that is going to carry me through this day…it’s a busy day You know, lots to do, people to take care of, laundry, groceries, car pool, soccer practice, dinner to make, PTA meeting, so speak now God give me something good”
We read the Bible. Close the Bible. Pray. And get up and start our day.
Do we actually think we leave our Jesus there? Sitting right there in that ‘devotion spot’.
Are we limiting our experiencing Jesus to just devotion time?
Are you fulfilled?
“Fulfillment means to be completely satisfied. How might our lives look if we were so filled with God’s truths we could let go of the pain of our past, not get tripped up by the troubles of today, or consumed by worries about tomorrow? Sound impossible? It is impossible when we try to make it happen on our own by doing more good Bible study girl things. Praying, reading the Bible, doing another Bible study, going to church, and being nice are wonderful and necessary. But just going through the motions of these activities will not fill our souls. They must be done with the great expectation and heart cry for God to lead us into a deeper and more life-changing connection with Him.” (pg 25, Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst)
Experiencing Jesus is not what we make it. It’s not limited to the 15 minutes we spend in the Bible. Or the prayers we lift up. It’s not limited to the 1 hour we sit in worship service each week.
Experiencing Jesus is really more than that.
So what is it exactly?
Experiencing Jesus is living each moment with Him.
It’s being brave and bold enough to remember He is with us wherever we go.
I’m just a girl, but I do believe my Jesus is with me right now as I sit on a comfy oversized chair with a handmade quilt draped over my lap with my laptop balanced on top, typing words that I lift up in praise and adoration of a Jesus who I know loves me to pieces.
But really its more than that, I know Jesus is with you right where you are.
At work.
At school getting ready to take that test.
Sitting in the hospital receiving a round of chemo.
In your car waiting in traffic.
In the quiet of your home.
While you wait.
He is with you.
Are you experiencing Him in the everyday?
I’m not asking friends if you have read your Bible today, rather I want you to know it’s more than that…
Do you know that Jesus loves you? Do you know He desires more than anything for you to experience Him today, in a new way?
I am praying that we truly let this sink deep into our hearts today.
May we not just go through the motions without the experience!
Because really it’s more than that!
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A Family and Home Blessing
10 hours ago
12 comments:
Love this post, Nichole! Loved the quote and loved the visualization of you typing away sharing God's love and truth with us.
You are a blessing!!!
BIG cyber-hugs, sweet lady!
Oh, yes it is!
I spent too much time limiting God to my quiet times. Didn't realize He is just as near and just as good when it's noisy.
I crave my quiet time each day. Need it. But I am so thankful God doesn't stay on the couch, rather He is with me in every moment of every day.
Even in the van when I'm stuck in traffic and lost. *grin*
This is my first visit to your blog, but I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed this post! It's funny, but I'm kind of the opposite - I talk to Jesus in casual conversation throughout the day, always realizing that he's by my side. It's the quiet time of devotion and true worship that I'm good at forgetting.
Love it my friend. Always a great word when I need it here at Nichole's place:)
hmmmmmmmmmmmm...this was good! I remember quite a few years back where I had gotten into the pattern of my morning time reading God's Word. Gotta read His Word. It's good. It's the right thing to do. Gotta get those readings in so I can finish the Word of God off in a year.
"Angela, you are reading My Word. It is going in one ear and out the other".
OUCH!!!!!
I stopped reading it for awhile. What I sensed in my spirit that day was true. Reading His Word but it was going in one ear and out the other.
So I stopped. Yes, I still read His Word but not this 'regiment' that I had put myself under...
Than one day I was SO hungry...hungry to stay in His Word. Soak it up, eat it up...
Our quiet times in the morning with our Lord shouldn't end there,,but should be a natural flow throughout the day..yes, Jesus is right beside me now as I type these words out to you...
SIGH...He IS so good...
Love what you wrote dear Nichole! To know just how loved we are and that He is always right there with us. I love chatting with Him throughout my day and thanking him and praising him. The more I do this, the more habit forming it becomes and I've noticed the less my thoughts drift where they should not be! He really is with us-it's mind-boggling, and reassuring at the same time! Our God is everything we need.
Hugs, Lori
PS I'm so enjoying Lysa's book! I was going to try and read it
r e a l slow, but ya just want to keep going!
You are right on! "It's really more than that"... yes, so much more than that!
As I am closing my quiet time each morning one of the last requests of my heart is "Jesus, come join me and walk with me in my day today".
Of course it's simiple, but it is more of a reminder to me than anything else of His constant, abiding presence regardless of what that day holds.
oh what a sweet word! I have taught the same thing to my bible study chics, yet, i needed this word for ME this morning! Thank you!
I think we take some really good Biblical ideas and twist them up so badly, almost pharisitically! We read often enough that Jesus got up early and spent time with His Father in prayer, but then we think that's the EXACT WAY that I should do things. I think we miss the point, sometimes....like thinking we can't talk with our Lord all the time!
If we're not looking for Him in all of our circumstances, then we aren't really living fully and completely for or in Him. He doesn't just reach out through all those things you mentioned--He certainly can, but He can just as well be reaching out through your unsaved spouse, or a report on the news or through an old Facebook friend.
Prayers, O Lord, for eyes to see You EVERYWHERE You are and to live our lives as You would direct them!
"brave and bold enough to remember he is with us..."
Girl, that will preach! I want to be brave and bold for Jesus.
peace~elaine
Amen and Amen!!!
Thank, I needed to hear that, you truly spoke to my heart.
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