It tastes good

For most of my motherhood years it's been a challenge to spend time reading my Bible. I don't know why, but I just couldn't seem to make it happen that often. I tried and tried, but quiet alone time with God didn't happen much. I was praying throughout the day, going to church, maybe reading books or articles online that were Christian and edifying. I sang praise songs on my own and was hungry for the Word, and lived according to it as best I could, but not studying it a lot myself.

I've been wanting to change this for quite awhile, but always found excuses. I still continued to progress in my understanding of it God's Word and Him, but it got to the point that hearing it preached just wasn't enough. I had to feed myself.

Early this month I was listening to two ministers and they were talking about putting God's Word first, which I've heard MANY times. However, they were both saying that most people try to fit God into their lives, in their daily schedules, which means it doesn't happen or isn't quality. They said you have to put it first and arrange your life around it. That really clicked for me. They also related their own experiences of putting Him and His Word first place, and how all the other things they needed to do somehow got done. And when they tried skipping their daily dose of the Word, somehow the work got bigger and didn't get done!

I made the decision that I would do whatever I had to do to get this going in my life. One of the main issues was, if I got up early, and turned a light on in the living room, a child would wake up and no more quiet time. I also really like to drink some coffee to wake up, and messing around in the kitchen is also disturbing to children's sleep and hard to do when you're barely awake. So, God fixed it for me :)

We had rearranged the living room so that I now had a chair and a side table with lamp in the corner so that with the door shut to children's rooms, they wouldn't notice the light. I didn't think about how we did it until I was trying to figure out a way to get up early. Oh! That would work. Also, my parents gave me and Matt a Keurig coffee maker, so that all I have to do is put a k-cupp thingie in there and push a button and in about a minute the coffee is ready! Awesome, didn't even think about that. The Lord knew my heart and was setting it up for me.

So I started getting up at 5:30 and spending an hour praying and reading the Word. The cool thing is that this was no longer a difficult thing to do. This seemed so vital to me that it wasn't a hardship to get up. I have gotten to the point where I craved it. Now, of course there's the issue with going to bed early. This doesn't happen a lot, and so after 2-3 days I get up a little later, like 6 and have a shorter time. Today, since I unintentionally stayed up till 12:30 am (watching Ben-Hur, lost track of time!!!) I got up at 6:30. It's ok though, because it really is a habit, and it really is something I have to have.

Awhile back I was listening to a preacher talk about being in a meeting, and there was a lady behind him that was just saying constantly, "Oh this delicous! Oh the Word is delicious!" and he and his wife got tickled about it. But I get it now. I have found that the more time I spend in His Word, the more wonderful it becomes. It literally feels like life being poured into me. Hearing the Word being preached at church or through someone I'm listening to, actually feels like eating a most delicious juicy ripe fruit, or a juicy steak, or a hot buttered corn on the cob from the garden. This is so funny, but it really is the truth.

"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103

'But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."' John 4:32

"And Jesus said unto them,  I  am  the bread  of life: he that cometh to  me  shall never hunger; and  he that believeth  on  me  shall  never  thirst ..." John 6:35

This is so true, I have found out for myself. I'm not bragging on myself or anything, but I know what His Word says, and I am expecting to be rewarded and for His favor, and He has given it. I'm not saying that the days don't have challenges, they do, but He has enabled me to do things on limited sleep because I've sacrificed what my natural body was wanting to gain strength for my spiritual man. 

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. " Hebrews 11:16

God wants to bless us and reward us, here on earth, not just in heaven. We need it here! I am walking by faith that if I am diligent in putting Him first, He will take care of my needs and desires. 

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33

Here's a real life example. Last week, somehow we lost track of some of our bank transactions, and it looked like we were going to have a transaction go through with not enough money in the account. So, we would have gone in the red and the bank would charge us overdraft fees. Normally, we would borrow some cash from a family member or something, and pay them back on the next paycheck, to make sure there was enough in the back to keep it from overdrafting.

But I didn't want to do that and neither did my husband. So, what are the choices? While it may have been our fault for losing track of the spending, it certainly wasn't intentional, and we had used some extra money to bless others that week. Well, I believe what the Bible says about sowing and reaping, and that by sowing tithes and offerings into the kingdom of God, we will reap a harvest back in the same form, which was money. So, we just gave the care to God, and stood on His promises. These are the ones we stood on:

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you [such] blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

There's more, but that's the gist of it. So, we forced ourselves to relax, put our faith in Him and not worry. Whatever happened, we knew He was taking care of us.

This morning Matt showed me our account. Though we had two transactions pending and waiting to go through, and if they did we would have gone into the negative, somehow they didn't, and his weekly paycheck went through first before those other transactions. So, we didn't go in the red, we had more than enough to cover the checks and we got to see how walking in His Word and putting our trust and faith in Him and what He says, does indeed work.

Isn't He awesome? How He cares and loves us. To me, it's the seemingly little things that He does for us that speak the loudest to me, because most people think He doesn't care or can't be bothered with such tiny details. They don't want to trouble Him about their problems thinking He is ' too busy' or only interested in the major things happening on the earth. But I've found out different.

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

I am so thankful and so grateful for Him. I am so blessed and so loved, and so are you!