Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Something I've learned about God

Maybe you’re a Christian like me, and you often get discouraged because you don’t feel God’s presence in your life. I’ve been frustrated by this in recent years, and after a lot of contemplation I have concluded something. A Christian who isn’t spending time every day reading God’s Word, praying and meditating on God and His Scriptural promises really can’t expect God to be there to guide them through life and its challenges.

We remember from the Old Testament that King Saul, near the end of his life, was a broken man. He tried in First Samuel 28 to get guidance from God for his battle against the Philistines (where he would end up seriously wounded and would commit suicide). God chose not to answer his prayers. It wasn’t that God was uncaring, but rather that Saul all of a sudden wanted a relationship with the God he’d disregarded for so long. Saul, described by some as a man “after man’s own heart” rather than God’s own heart, was reaching out to God for convenience rather than for a relationship. Think of the stories of a parent trying unsuccessfully to get together with a child with which they’ve been estranged for years. Very difficult task.

For me, the best time for devotions is in the morning, which is a challenge. I encourage you to make time daily to spend time with God. It makes more of a difference than you can imagine.

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