Life lately has been interesting, hectic and stressful. At times I feel incredibly over-committed and not the husband and father that God calls me to be. I’ve been using this level of over-commitment in my life as an excuse and a crutch for a lack of quiet time with the Lord. Excuses like, “God understands more than I do so he realizes why I don’t have time.” or “I just need to get through this week and next week will be better.” The challenge is that each week is just as hectic as the last and has just as much drama as the last, sometimes more.
I’ve made the decision to change my priorities. Instead of staying in bed until I have to get up and running the clock down to the minute I am going to start getting up earlier and start my day with my quiet time. What is interesting is that I was talking to a close friend yesterday and telling him about my challenge with my quiet time and how I need accountabilty.
After we got off the phone it dawned on me, that’s ridiculous! I talk to this same friend every day, if you include our texting then several times a day. He’s going through a lot right now and that has definitely increased our communication but it also made us significantly closer. So close in fact that for the first time since high school, with the exception of my wife, I would say that I have a “best friend.” A person who I can truly be myself with and who enjoys me for who I am and the relationship is reciprocal. If daily communication built that relationship and caused it to drive value in my life; why do I need to be accountable for a daily time with God. Shouldn’t the value of that relationship be enough!
In my devotion today it was supposed to be about gratefulness. It was the story in II Samuel 14 where King David agrees for his son Absalom to return to Jerusalem and Joab convinced Tekoa to go and serve as a prophetess to the king by telling her what to say. In the second half of the chapter King David sees through the rouse and asks if Tekoa was asked to approach the king by Joab, to which she confirmed. Immediately David agrees and tells Joab to bring Absalom back which prompts Joab to worhip and thank David.
As I was reading I could feel the Holy Spirit convict me that tomorrow’s turn into years before you realize it.
In theory the devotion should have stopped there but I decided to go back to Chapter 11 and read through to the end of Chapter 14. The violent side of the house of David is revealed and Absalom has a major part in it. He murders his brother, after his brother rapes their sister and then flees to Geshur. He stayed in Geshur for three years and all the while David was longing to see his son Absalom! Then when he comes back David confines him to his home and another two years pass. This really resonated with me. How many times in that five year span did David want to go to Absalom and thought, “I’ll go tomorrow.” As I was reading I could feel the Holy Spirit convict me that tomorrow’s turn into years before you realize it.
So, prioritization of my quiet time starts today. I’m going to hold myself accountable by writing about my time with God here. I need to make this important to me because it is important. Not because I told someone that I need to be held accountable for my quiet time and do it out of guilt. Today’s the start of bringing back the relationship I once had. Bringing back the joy that I once had that I allowed others to take from me. Bringing back my first love.
An Ordinary Methodist 