From My Quiet Time This Morning

This is what I read this morning.

Hebrews 10:10 (NLT) - For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus, Christ, once for all time.

Hebrews 10:14 (NLT) - For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

Hebrews 10:18 (NLT) - And when sins have been forgiven,there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

During my prayer time, I do what I call "two way journaling". I write down my prayers to God, and then I listen for a response. If a thought comes to mind, I begin writing. I don't wait until the thought is finished (because I get distracted and usually interrupt), but I write down exactly what comes to my mind as I "hear" it. Then I read what I've written and ask myself, "Does that sound like me, or does that sound like God?" If I' m not sure, or if I have been given some kind of direction, I can take what I've written to my pastor or a friend and ask, "Does this sound like God to you?" Ever since I started doing this, I have been amazed at how easy it is to hear God talking to me. (What was I waiting for before? An audible voice?).

This is what I journaled this morning after reading the first part of Hebrews 10. I put in italics the part where I felt God was speaking to me.

Dear God,

I guess this is an improvement over not meeting with you regularly, but here I am, up early, and now I am always running out of time wishing I had more time to spend with You. Thank You for loving me, for spending time with me and for speaking to me.

Rob, I do love you and I love spending time with you. You are not something broken that I would have to force myself to spend time with. I have redeemed your fallen nature and, just like back at the beginning of my creation, I long to take walks with you, talk to you, listen to you and share in the life I have given to you. As my child, I want you to love me and desire to spend time with me, but I have created this life for you to enjoy and it brings me joy to watch you enjoy it. Yes, the thing that separated us, sin, was/is huge, but my sacrifice was 100% totally enough to bridge the gap. Now the only thing that can stand between us is you not meeting me here like this.

Father, as I've been reading The Shack, I've been thinking how wonderful it would be to have the opportunity to meet with You and get to talk with You for a weekend like in the book. While that would still be totally awesome, I have been feeling perhaps You were trying to tell me that is what You want our time together here to be. Today, I feel a little bit like that was the case. I feel like a child, in the presence of my Father, totally at peace, full of joy, resting in the knowledge that I am totally loved. I can picture myself running in a field laughing and just resting in your love...and You smiling as You watch me being silly. Each of us being exactly who we are supposed to be (which, of course, is not hard for You!).

Thank You for your love and your presence.