February 8, 2015

To build and maintain intimacy in a relationship you must schedule time with the other person, otherwise it won’t happen. There’s a reason the Bible likens your relationship with Christ to that of a bride and groom. For a marriage to be strong, two people must pay attention to one another. And that happens only when they’re willing to set aside things like work, financial concerns, and even children. Likewise, your devotional life should involve simply enjoying the presence of the Lord. The Psalmist puts it this way: “You fill me with joy in your presence.” “Delight yourself. . .in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NKJV). “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1 NKJV). “You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1 NKJV). Many of us lead unhappy lives because we never spend time in God’s presence. Do you know the Lord, or do you merely know about Him? “Knowing Christ” was Paul’s number‑one priority: “All the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant –dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him” (Philippians 3:7‑9 TM). Have you reached the place where you can say that too?