"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17
A few years ago, I began to ask God to help me plan a better quiet time. I desired to do it in the morning, I actually felt deeply about that being the time...but how?!... instead, I would get up to late, wanting those extra minutes of sleep and would find myself later trying to do it at work, or when I got home and all of the "hungry ones" were chomping at the bids for food!!! I know a lot of you feel me on this :)
My plan just wasn't taking off to well.
So, here's how He accomplished it:
First, He needed to remind me that He is the One who works out time. He sets it up, He has total control over it. I needed to stop trying to "fit Him in".
Second, He had to show me that my quiet time was not the deep digging that I do for Precept. He just wanted me to sit with Him, read His Word, meditate and have a "heart to heart" with Him. In my mind, I was at the point where everytime I opened His word, I thought I needed to dive in like I was preparing a lesson, which is why I was having such a hard time in the morning having my "quiet time". I kept missing that quiet meant resting in Him and in His word.
Third, He again had to show me that I could not just fit this time into some moment during the day that was convenient for me. I realized that somedays.... (who am I kidding)....most days, that time did not come. I am a single mom, work full time, homeschool, helping to plan a wedding for my son....see my issue?
FINALLY.... I GOT IT!!! With a lot of nudging from the Holy Spirit :)
SO..
This month, I have been waking up, rolling out of bed, going right to the desk beside my bed, turning on my lamp, opening my Bible and having that quiet, restful, beautiful, amazing heart to heart with my KING before I even begin getting ready for work. He WANTS this time with me. His word says He delights in it. WOW! He delights in that time with me. This makes my heart beat so fast!
Here is the cool part, I work from 5am to 5pm, so I have been waking up at 3:17am (not sure what that is the exact time- ...hmm) and eagerly grasping this time with Him before my day begins.
My days have been better, my mind has been clearer to hear Him on so much that I didn't seem to hear Him on before. Including a mission trip...but that's another blog :) and I have this peace about what may or may not come.
He made a way for me. In the early morning hours, when it is literally so quiet in my house. GOD IS GOOD! I am not tired or sleepy from not getting those extra "minutes" of sleep. I am actually pumped and ready for what the day and my enemy has to bring. I have my Sword! PRAISE GOD!
Nothing is impossible with God. I have seen it through the details of my son's wedding, homeschool planning, my sabbatical and through the lives of so many and now from this time that He has set up for our morning time together. Believe me, early morning quiet time seemed very impossible just a month ago.
He continues to remind me to have faith in what He is doing in my life and to let it inspire me to be the one He has made me to be in all aspects of my life and the lives of my kiddos. It feels pretty great!
My days are far from perfect, but for some reason, they seem less crazy. Hmm... ; )
LOVING MY KING!!!
Great post! When I read of you getting up at 3:17, I thought it might be cool to look up some bible verses with that passage, (since it's such an interesting time:) Here are a few:
ReplyDeletePr. 3:17 "Her ways [wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace."
James 3:17 " But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."
Eph. 3:17 "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love..."
Pretty cool, huh?!
This is way cool!! Even the Scripture God brought me came from Zephaniah 3:17.
ReplyDeleteI did not even think of that!! I love this!!!!!!!
Love you!!!