Monday February 15 2016  TO BE HIS INTIMATE FRIEND

A day packed full (again) so I must be brief. 

GOD IS SO GOOD!  I just wish I could somehow let the whole world know.  I sometimes marvel at the miracle of being God’s child!  Sometimes even those who “know” God as their redeemer, lose out on so much of what God desires to give us, all because they chose not to have a personal relationship with Him.  God desires a relationship with us.  Did you know that we are created to PRAISE THE LORD?  We are actually called to PRAISE THE LORD in Psalm.  Psalm 135 speaks about how God has called us into His service and has instructed us, as servants of His ministry, to PRAISE THE LORD.  God doesn’t NEED our service, RATHER HE DESIRES THAT WE HAVE A DAILY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.  We are to PRAISE HIM AND TO WORSHIP HIM.  God can do more and above what we can do.  Remember, He does not need us, HE DESIRES US!

I wrote about this topic earlier this year, but it bears to be repeated.  GOD DESIRES YOU.  GOD DESIRES ME.  He loved you and me so much that He allowed our sins to come upon Him.  God, in the form of Jesus, hung on a cross for six hours and defeated death…for you and for me!  He sweated drops of blood, for you and for me!  How can we not desire that same relationship with Him that He desires with us?

Is God knocking at your door?  Are there times when you had a daily, current relationship with Him, but life has become too busy now to take the time needed, to be with God, to worship Him, and to give Him Praise?  When I retired I thought I would have so much more time to do just that.  I see now that sometimes I become so busy that some of my “MUSTS” become my “SHOULDS”.  Slowly the routine you (and I am speaking about me too) had at one time seems to disappear.  Before I left on my trip last March I could probably count on one hand all the days I may have missed in one year that I did not spend with the Lord on an intimate level.  When I stepped back into the reality of Wisconsin in July my life exploded with the unexpected.  Slowly I found myself spending shorter times with God.  And then I began to be sporadic.  And then I might miss several days in a row.  So easy to do when you are being pulled from so many different directions. Oh, I listened to great sermons everyday as I exercised, and even praised and worshiped the Lord in the privacy of my thoughts when working out, but somehow, that close, personal intimacy was not felt.  And every day I missed it tremendously.

It is so easy to rationalize and make excuses for missing our rendezvous with God.  “My husband is ill, I must work out at the gym, my grandchildren need child care today, I’m preparing for an event, I must have surgery, I must get ready for vacation, I’ve so many appointments, I need to write my blog, I want to watch a Christmas movie, the food box is here and I must cook it up, company is coming, and the shorter and shorter my time with the Lord becomes.  And then less and less frequent.  And every day the Lord is calling  my name, calling your name.  Every sermon I listen to I hear His voice using the words of the minster to give my heart a reminder.  The songs I listen to beckon me with words of longing from the Lord.  And even the scriptures I read daily are echoing the same refrain.  Yes, I read the scriptures but due to all the excuses above, it is easy to rush off and not sit and dwell in His presence. 

It is during those quiet, restful times when I hear the voice of the Lord through the thoughts he places within me.  It is during those times when my spirit opens up like a spring flower, soaking in the light of His presence.  It is when I quiet myself in the stillness of my library that I am able to experience the heart of God in my life.  It is when my spirit longs to praise and worship and intercede for my lost friends and loved ones.  It is when I remember the prayers that people ask me to pray for.  It is when I write in my THANK YOU JOURNAL and am reminded of how great and how good our God is.  It is a time of renewal; a renewal of faith and strength and love and hope and joy.  And my heart is now LONGING for those quiet interludes.  My soul is thirsting, my need is great.  I WANT MORE OF GOD.

It’s as if this time in my life was designed to allow me to spend it in God’s presence.  God must be my priority.  I cannot live without that precious time with Him.  I believe God is bringing so many people across my path to minister to.  Yet, I feel empty and less than capable to do the work He has for me to do.  Remember, He doesn’t “need me”, but I need Him.  Almost every day my path crosses with those who may need to hear about His love for them.  Almost everyday someone asks me to pray for them.  I need to be full to overflowing of God’s love so that I am more than ready.  I need to be fed on His word, not just read it.  I need to pray and worship aloud, not just silently, I need to take the time to hear His voice and write down what is impressed upon my heart, so I can listen to His voice over and over, as I go back and re-read my “HEART SOUNDS”.  What it boils down to, I just need more of God.  I need to set aside my morning so I can have the quality time it takes to have a deep and true relationship with the God of the universe.  And everything I am hearing, and everything I am reading, and the sermons I listen to at the gym, testimonies at the Ladies Brunch on Saturday, and words from those who were baptized yesterday, emails received from friends with the perfect scripture verse I needed to hear, all keep tugging at my heart.  I hear God’s voice calling.  He has my attention!  I am listening.  There are some “MUSTS” I must prioritize. Not next week or next month, but now, this moment.  And of course it is now, during one my busiest times, that I must stop, look, and listen.  Stop what I am doing, look into the eyes of God, and listen to what He is speaking into my heart!

I meant to spend just a few minutes writing so I could complete and fulfill the rest of my obligations for the day.  Earlier it was necessary for me to cancel one event (movie night), due to my overbooked agenda.  And here I am pouring out my heart to my readers.  Right now the thought just went through my head that perhaps I should not send this blog.  I will wait and see.  Perhaps it is time for me to come to grips with what is going on and to let you, my readers in on my situation also.  I always find time to write my blog (because it is important to me), but I sometimes do not find time for my quality one on one time with the Lord.  I must change that.  I want God to be the most important EVERYTHING in my life!

Thanks for reading this if you have so inclined.  The banquet table is spread before me.  I desire to partake of what the Lord has prepared for me.  I hope you will come along with me and allow me to share the fruits of His table with you.  Actually, He has a table already prepared just for you.  All you need do, is take time to partake.

TO BE HIS INTIMATE FRIEND

By Kathleen Martens

February 15, 2016

To know that the Lord of the Universe

Loved me enough to die for my sin,

Is reason enough for me

To allow Him to come in.

To come into my life,

Ruler and King over all.

For He is the one who loves me.

He is the one who calls.

He calls me to be His own,

To lay down all my burdens and cares.

His blood alone is my salvation

He has defeated the devil’s lair.

He longs for my hours and days

That He reign supreme in my heart.

So I offer my mornings as sacrifice,

That with Him each dawn I start.

There is no other like Him

Who satisfies my thirsty soul.

None can ever match His love,

To be more like Him, my goal.

He gives me rest in the night.

He calms my stormy sea.

In Him is true freedom.

Only through Him I’m free.

And He beckons me to come, 

And what’s broken He will mend.

All He truly desires of me

Is to be His intimate friend.

If you do not journey with God on a daily basis, think about it.  You may be surprised at the peace and joy that will bubble up in your soul when you take time to listen to that what He desires to speak into your life.

Good night and God bless you.