"Too busy for Me?"
"Bethel is the symbol of fellowship with God; Ai is the symbol of the world. Abram 'pitched his tent' between the two. The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him. Rushing in and out of worship is wrong every time— there is always plenty of time to worship God. Days set apart for quiet can be a trap, detracting from the need to have daily quiet time with God. That is why we must 'pitch our tents' where we will always have quiet times with Him, however noisy our times with the world may be.
There are not three levels of spiritual life— worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God’s idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony. It is a discipline that must be developed; it will not happen overnight."
- Oswald Chambers
So, smack-dab in the middle of one of the busiest weeks ever, I find that I am not "pitching my tent" and setting aside purposeful, deliberate time with God. Though "Q.T." (quiet time) is at the top of my daily planner every single day, I have gone past it and checked off things below it first....and my attitude and outlook are exibiting my blunder.
I need to focus on uninterrupted time with Him, alone, solitary, serious. I need to remember, too, that I can "steal away" with my Lord during tasks during the rest of each day....as I fold laundry, I can whisper my concerns to Him. As I water my plants outside, I can thank Him for His creation. As I cook dinner, I can give over all of my fears and reservations about whatever is bothering me.
God does not delight in our using Him as a drive-through window. To pitch a tent is much more deliberate and meaningful. It is not building a house, mind you. A tent is moveable and its location can be picked up and changed in a second. In that respect, we are always to be ready to go when God says, "go." Whether He wants us to submit to a while of rest and rejuvination inside our tent, with His presence surrounding us, or whether He desires for us to pack it up and tuck it under our arms, trodding to the next challenge that is sent our way (or the next spiritual insight)....also with His presence still surrounding us....it is our willingness to tarry with Him that makes Him smile.
There are not three levels of spiritual life— worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God’s idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony. It is a discipline that must be developed; it will not happen overnight."
- Oswald Chambers
So, smack-dab in the middle of one of the busiest weeks ever, I find that I am not "pitching my tent" and setting aside purposeful, deliberate time with God. Though "Q.T." (quiet time) is at the top of my daily planner every single day, I have gone past it and checked off things below it first....and my attitude and outlook are exibiting my blunder.
I need to focus on uninterrupted time with Him, alone, solitary, serious. I need to remember, too, that I can "steal away" with my Lord during tasks during the rest of each day....as I fold laundry, I can whisper my concerns to Him. As I water my plants outside, I can thank Him for His creation. As I cook dinner, I can give over all of my fears and reservations about whatever is bothering me.
God does not delight in our using Him as a drive-through window. To pitch a tent is much more deliberate and meaningful. It is not building a house, mind you. A tent is moveable and its location can be picked up and changed in a second. In that respect, we are always to be ready to go when God says, "go." Whether He wants us to submit to a while of rest and rejuvination inside our tent, with His presence surrounding us, or whether He desires for us to pack it up and tuck it under our arms, trodding to the next challenge that is sent our way (or the next spiritual insight)....also with His presence still surrounding us....it is our willingness to tarry with Him that makes Him smile.
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