Just Thinking Online

I have been processing a couple of different thoughts lately, so I thought I'd share.

1. Somewhere along the way, I started thinking of my quiet time as "my time with God." And it is, don't get me wrong. It is certainly a time to pray and to worship and to enjoy His Word. But thinking of quiet time this way implies that once it is over, so is my engagement with God and I may go about my day and my business. This, I think is quite contrary to what Scripture teaches. Take 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 for example. So driving to Bunco the other day, I had a bit of an epiphany. What if my "quiet time" is not so much my time with God (although I'm sure He will be present and I will enjoy Him there), but rather, it is a time of study and preparation for the rest of the day when I will be spending time with God. A time to study who He is and who He is not. A time to study who I am and who I am not. A time to prepare my thoughts and my heart and my schedule and my words to worship Him and acknowledge Him all day long. Let us pray for theory to be put into action!

2. The burden of the Law really struck me today. What freedom we have in Christ! Imagine what our lives would be like if we were constantly having to right our wrongs with God. Sacrifices and offerings and ceremonies and washings...never ending! Imagine all that on top of the normal things of life that must get done. How could we possibly love others and enjoy God when we are ever covering our own tails! But...it is done! Finished! We are free to love God and love people without guilt or shame. Why on earth am I tempted to want to manage my own sin?...foolish, foolish girl! He entered the holy place once and for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12 AMEN! I love when God reminds me of the beauty of the Gospel!