TIME WITH GOD

Matthew 6:19-21 (TNIV) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I am a collector. I have collected comic books, graphic novels, ball cards, ball caps, tee shirts, lighthouses and so on. Through the years I have amassed quite a bit of “stuff”. I have also moved around a lot. Starting in New Jersey, I moved to North Carolina, then Texas, then back to New Jersey. And have moved quite a few times within each state. Each move became a little more cumbersome because of accumulated “stuff”. Things that have value to me, yet are essentially valueless otherwise. There is absolutely nothing wrong with collecting and nothing wrong with accumulating things throughout your life, but I use it as an example of how we so easily get entangled in that which has no eternal value.

It was only recently that I began to realize that this “stuff”, while fun to collect and marvelous in and of itself, was nothing more than extra boxes to tote around with me. I began to realize for the first time that anything that is lost to you, yet can be replaced can’t be all that important after all. I began to understand in some small way, what Matthew was talking about. The treasure he is speaking of doesn’t have to necessarily be gold or silver or some great wealth or valuable material possession. It can be something whose value is known only to you. If anything we possess becomes more important to us than our Heavenly Father, who gave us life to begin with, then it becomes an idol to us. As long as it retains its’ proper place in our lives, it is fine.

God will share praise and glory with no one and nothing. Things that replace Him in our lives as having paramount importance must be removed. It is so easy to go through days, weeks and even months without spending time with God. I have done it. We get caught up in life’s ‘junk’; the busyness of the day. The mundane ‘stuff’ that we must do to survive … grocery shopping, errand running, bringing the kids to and from school, bringing them to practice or going to classes, studying, hanging with friends, playing sports or any number of other “important” and “necessary” things that we must do. There is no doubt that these things have to be tended to, but should they take place to the exclusion of time with God? Is there NO time for God in our 24 hour day? Not even 5 minutes we can carve out of our day? It is more difficult that we realize, because our natural inclination is to go-go-go. Society dictates it. Our world demands it. And we try to spend time with our God, yet fail more times than not because of those things that pull at us constantly, demanding our time and attention.

Stop for a moment. Just stop. Slow your breathing down. Ask the Lord to help you clear your mind of all the ‘things’ that are swirling around in it. Listen. Listen intently. Now sit down. Concentrate on the silence. Even if there is noise around you, concentrate on the silence. Block out the noise. Focus on God. Picture Him in your mind’s eye. If you can be somewhere alone, your car, your bedroom, some woodsy spot near your home … just stop and listen. Thank God for Who He is. Thank Him for not only what He has done in your life, but what He will do. Then listen. Perhaps you hear nature, if you are outside. Perhaps you hear nothing. Savor it. Embrace it. We can do this. We can. We just need to reflect on who God is, who we are to Him and what He has done for us. He saved us. He died for us. He loves us unconditionally. Now smile and know that you can do this each and every day of your life going forward and it will bless your soul.

By the way, I come by my collecting honestly … my dad has the biggest vinyl record collection and coffee mug collection you will ever see.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!