A Slight but Dangerous Shift

Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth. 1 Chronicles 16:10-12 (New American Standard Bible)

Shifts can be so slight that we often are not aware of a problem until it is bigger than life and affecting us profoundly. Such was the case for me during the past couple of weeks. I had been in the habit for several years of rising in the wee hours of the morning to spend time in the Word and send out email devotionals. It had become a special time for me and usually set the pace for the remainder of my day. Due to a change in my work hours, I found myself becoming physically drained and felt a change was needed-- i.e. more sleep! This decision resulted in a change to my morning routine. I went from purposeful meetings with the Lord to ‘chance’ meetings and found myself taking in less and less of His Word and presence.

What started out as a gradual thing, snowballed and I found myself sinking emotionally and spiritually. This evening I have taken some time to look back over the past week or so and see how my reactions and attitudes have been more out of my flesh than spirit, how my perceptions of others have once again become dark, how emptiness was beginning to mark my internal world, and how I no longer resembled one who walked in the joy and strength of the Lord. What happened? I had become lax in my seeking God, seeking His strength, and seeking His face! I had drifted away from remembering His wonders and marvels. While I managed to keep activities relatively the same, my spirit was showing signs of starvation and God was nudging me to start feeding it again.

I want to go back to my early morning meetings with my Father. I want His Word to be at the start of my day once again. I have tasted the consequences and results of not doing so and it has been uncomfortable to say the least. Once again, God has wisely allowed something painful to bring me back to Himself.

People have often commented on the authenticity of these devotionals. I believe that one of the reasons God leads me to be honest and open about my journey is so that others can begin to be honest and open about theirs. We can all learn together that it is a given that we will have good and bad days, victories and failures, tragedies and triumphs as we travel through life. After all, God does not look for perfection….just progress.

Father, I have missed You. Amen.

The Voice of Hope - Lara Martin
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qbk1TGe5k0Q

I welcome your questions and comments to any devotional thoughts. I am honored and delighted to share my journey with you and privileged to hear of yours.