What is this? An experiment. I am so busy and my time with the Lord was lacking. This is a test of spending time with the Lord faithfully for 30 days - as a test that by putting him first in my life and prioritizing time with him... he will help with the rest. I will blog daily during this test.
This is the fifth day of my "Put God First Test" and I've enjoyed the focus this has brought to the topic of seeking God. Its also forging new habits in me of getting to sleep so that I can wake up early enough to do this. For me, it is taking an exercise of faith to shut down my work laptop by 11pm each night- when I have 2-3 projects piling up at work that need to get done. My work is definitely getting a priority amount of my time but for a few weeks prior to this test I was working until 12am, 1am, and even 4am every other night in order to make progress on key projects. As a result- my time with God was lacking. The test is essentially this: "What if I put God first in my day and spent time with him? What if I went to sleep at a decent hour and stopped working on all of the things screaming for my attention? What if I did this because I trusted God that he could- and would- more than make up the difference and bless me? This is exactly like the whole philosophy behind tithing- and its like tithing my time. (read Micah chapter 3 and think of your time for a moment instead of just your money alone)
Lord, again I'm a bit tired this morning. I ask you to meet me here. Lord, you know I have a high visibility project that was due Monday I have not started on yet. I trust you Lord to help me with the things I cannot get to because I honor you with my time in prayer and your Word. I trust that as I follow the instruction in Psalm 37 to "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"- that you will help me with my work, family, Web project, online ministry, and my walk with you. Help others to read this and take the challenge- to dare to STOP in the active hope and belief that you can arrange our time, circumstances, and to-do items far more effectively than we can- if we will only make you the center.
To my readers: I have learned to say things about what God will do in faith at times when I feel nothing. I've learned to state things that I have no physical evidence of because I trust God that it will be so. I've learned to encourage myself in the Lord by reason and by the Word that he will do the right thing. I've learned to trust in his active, involved, and faithful action by prayer and waiting. I've learned to talk of God's rescue, help, or involvement because of who he is - even when it goes against the natural order of things - or my own sight of how things are. I've learned to use my mind to make a choice to trust God patiently when others are in upheaval or distress about circumstances. I believe this is the normal Christian life. As I read the Word of God people like David in the Psalm talk of God's rescue when he is at rock-bottom. I believe we go into any situation and we declare into the face of doubt, peril, or circumstances - that God is with us and that we trust him to help us. Pray, then wait- I can even see where a person would pray, then praise although I've pulled off waiting more than praising to this point. So, I want to apply this concept of trust God before it happens to this test. Its clear that some of my projects at work are getting done slower than they should because I am not working into the wee hours but going to bed so I can wake up and pray. I will use my reason here and say the following:
* Its early in this test
* I will trust him now so I will not be ashamed later by a worried or panicked reaction
* My faith will honor him- I will trust him before I see the evidence which means I honor the person he is
* I see him who is invisible with my reason and judgement
* He has been very faithful to answer prayers before
* He has blessed and helped my wife and I through many "bad economies" and blessed and helped our jobs
* I have seen his active work in helping others
* I can easily think of 3-4 scriptures that tell me to put God first, seek him first, delight in him, and he'll bless
* Its too important to my lifetime to have the habit of spending time with him to not start now
* This really puts my human nature on the cross to allow my spiritual life to govern my natural life in this way
* Lord, as I have said before-- I will proclaim that if a roaring "freight train" of circumstances is speeding down the tracks right at me to run me down...because you are with me it can do its worst and the damage will happen to the train and not to me.
Bible Passage:
Psalm 50 - this is what spoke to me in my Psalm of the day:
Ok, I went right from talking about trusting in God and putting him first even when you can't see any help yet into my Psalm of the day, Psalm 50, and I have to admit I had a bit of a shock at how much the Lord was speaking to the concerns- and my choice of trusting God just above..there were a couple of tears. Here are a few highlights of what spoke to me although nearly the entire passage was pointedly speaking:
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God will shine forth.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
4 He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 “Gather My saints together to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is Judge.
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14 Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
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22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”(NKJV)
Wow, so obviously there were some strong words in there but it speaks of the active power of God, the speaking of God, the involvement of God, and it speaks of trusting in God- making a sacrifice and a commitment (uses the word vow), and how God will come through. Many amazing promises there applying quite directly to my comments above. Lord, thank you so much for ordering my life to have Psalm 50 be on this day- that is truly your work- and a confirmation.
That's all for today - gotta run to get ready for work. Praise you Lord!
Let's GO God!
Scriptures obtained from Bible Gateway. NKJV of the Bible is Copyrighted by Thomas Nelson.
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