In recent months since my holiday, I have been spending time with the Lord in different ways.  It stemmed from a bad habit of not doing my daily readings during the holiday, thus continued afterwards in a “now and again” attitude.  I would read the word at work, or in an evening, and only when I had time and the end result was, in my experience, a feeling of spiritual “unhealthiness”.  I felt I mas neglecting my relationship with the Lord, and by only reading the word as and when, it wasnt sticking!  I was quickly forgetting what I had read or learnt within hours.

Why the morning

? – Psalm 5:1-3

I have realised that concentrating on God first thing in the morning when I wake up is the most important time.  By waiting till further in the day my brain has become full of problems I am dealing with at work, stress of life situations, and constant interruptions from collegues or family.  So getting up early again and maintaining this devotional blog will become my way of spending time with Him.

What better way to start the day, than spending time with Creator God!

I do encourage you, if you to struggle with a daily time with the Lord, or just to get time in your hectic lives to get up those 15 minutes earlier, read some scripture, make some notes if it helps (that why I do this blog to help me remember what I have learnt) and also pray.  You can get so many daily devotionals to help you if you struggle to find a place to start in the Bible, and they ususally have some very good write ups explaining the passage(s) you have just read.

Our Daily Bread and Word for Today are 2 I have used regularly and learnt so much from.

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Surprisingly, even Christians can be guilty of creating an image of God for themselves of which does not truly reflect Him or His nature.  If we want to see who God is, we need to turn to His Word, for the Word is Truth.  Looking at the scriptures and statements below, we can start to see a loving Father God:

God is Love.
1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (NIV)

He is our Father.

Isaiah 64:8  Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; We are all the work of your hand. (NIV)

He is the Creator.
Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

He is Powerful
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (NIV)

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (NIV)

He Loves Us

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

(NIV)

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (NIV)

The above are just a few verses that help us to understand who God is, and the only way to know Him better to to keep studying His Word, and communicating with Him in prayer.  We wouldn’t get very far in our relationships if we were not to talk to each other!  That’s why its important we work on our relationship with God and continue to want to know Him more and more each day.

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12 Red Roses may be a lavish show of affection, however God sent his one and only Son to die on the cross for our Sins so that we may have eternal life… Why?  Because he loves each and every one of us more that we could ever imagine, know or love.

Single people on valentines day may be reminded that they are alone, and have no lover.  They may earnestly be seeking a date, delivering anonymous cards, surfing internet dating websites all in a desperate effort to find love!  If they are not saved, then they are missing out on something even more special than finding a mate, they are missing out on a close, personal relationship with almighty God our father!

There is no other love more satisfying, more fulfilling, more wonderful than the Love of God.  People can spend their entire lives looking for “the one” who answers all their criteria, and yet never find perfect love in the Lord.  It’s our responsibility as Christians to tell everyone about the Lord, or we are to go and make disciples.  So on this valentines day, lets make an extra concerted effort to lead the love lost souls of this world to our perfect saviour.

Verse 3 jumped out at me also.  in the living translation is reads:

“And everyone who really believes this will try to stay pure because Christ is pure”.

Firstly, it is great now to have a verse to use when people ask; “so when you ask God into your life, what’s to stop you from carrying on as normal”.   Secondly however, it reminds me that not only telling people about Gods love is important but showing Gods love to others, is just as powerful a witness if not even more so!

Spend a moment to pray for those looking for love, that they may find Him.

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I was surprised that todays devotional didn’t pick up on the fishers of men aspect, and stepping out in faith.  The above couple of verses is when Jesus called out to Simon and Andrew who were fishermen and asked them to follow him.  What happens next is something that I can’ t imagine happening now-a-days!

“At once they left their nets and followed him…”

I am not sure if they had had a conversation before, or if they new of Jesus, but something made them risk everything, and drop everything to follow him.  Leaving their lively hood behind, leaving all they held dear, they followed him.  What a huge step of faith!

Of course salvation wasn’t just for these select few.  Right from the very beginning Jesus was telling them he would make them fishers of men.  Remembering that when Jesus had risen from the dead, he have his disciples the “Great Commission”, “go make disciples of all nations”.  Matthew 28:19-20

The Devotional today looks into the relationship we have with Jesus.  Stressing the importance of not simply using Jesus as the “Get out of jail free” card, saving us from hell, but actually having a loving relationship with Him.  Also check this out about obedience.  We do not have a religion, we have a relationship!  This sets us apart from any other faith!

We therefore need to work at our relationship.  If I didn’t spend time with my wife, and didn’t speak with her, I am not sure how long our relationship would last.  The amazing thing is Jesus never tires of loving us, however we are missing out on SO MANY blessings by not continuing in a relationship with Him, and without a relationship with him, we are not equip to take on the Great Commission and reach others for Him.

I have gone from one subject to another in today’s Journal, so in a nutshell what I have learnt:  …when we take that step of faith and follow him, we need to continue to build on our relationship with the Lord so that He can do great things through us…

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of my actions and desires, or felt like a distant relation of God where I am on speaking terms as and when it suits.

I have found over the last few months that really seeking the Lord, and making time to read his word and to pray really does help you build an intimate relationship with our personal saviour.  As in verse 1 therefore, earnestly pursue him, drink the living water of his word, and he will set you free, he will wrap his arms around you, enjoy an intimate loving relationship with the father.

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