The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 (NLT)
I stopped by to visit with a friend the other day and we began chatting about the mechanics of a devotional time. Some of us have been Christians for a long time and others are babies in Christ but all of us need and want that special time with the Lord. So why is it a struggle? The distractions vary but the result is the same – it doesn’t happen. We also noted that in times of stress or trouble, we make it a priority but when life is good, other things gobble up that time. Another obstacle is the various “shoulds” we put on ourselves, as it “should” be in the morning for an hour. I remember, as a young teen, trying to get up before school to read my Bible and finding myself yawning the entire time. Not one verse penetrated my foggy brain. It took many years and plenty of “do overs” before I realized that God just wants to see me, to spend time with me, to love me. He loves it any time I sit down to talk to Him. I encouraged my friend not to be so hard on herself and find a time that works for her. She sent me an email today, “Yesterday morning I got to thinking — when you call someone to say hello, they don’t care if the conversation is not an hour long — they are just glad to hear your voice! Hope God feels that way too.” Remember that last phone call from your grandchild? When I hear “Hello, Nana,” I drop everything to talk to her and spend time listening to all she has to tell me. Our Heavenly Father responds the same way…He is right there when we call.