When I woke up this morning, I wanted to go back to bed. When I hit the gym this morning, I hoped for bigger gains. And when I was driving home, I was hankering for a breakfast sandwich. I love how we have this desire for things - food, people, moments, hopes. But with everything, things can be used negatively or against us. The desire for food is a great thing, but too much, or the wrong things, can be detrimental. A healthy balance with anything can prove to be a difficult thing. Our relationship with God is the best thing we can have, and yet we all struggle in putting Him first... Craving Him more than we crave anything else. Example: Food can be a comfort or reward, but if we turn to it in times of stress, sadness, or even happiness, instead of God - problem.

When we battle impurity, anger, selfishness, (place your struggle here), we know it will be difficult. And yet, during those times when we don't crave God, we make those moments even harder. And like being on a diet, when we reach for something during those times for support or strength, and it isn't God, then we're not making the healthiest choice. I laugh when times get so difficult, that I'm praying to God constantly... but only after things get to a certain level. And only then, I'm consistently praying. It's only at THOSE times that I'm craving God... And as always, He makes it all right.... And when everything turns out well, that's when I stop "craving" Him.

The noted scripture is perfect at times of need. When the bullets start flying, it's ok to cry & beg for God's help. Unlike the world's thinking, God wants to us to come to Him, and He won't go anywhere. But when times aren't so tough, we still need to crave God's help. We know that we will continue to face difficult times - those will never go away. But our need for God doesn't only apply during those times - He needs to be our primary focus when the sun shines, when we struggle with our purity, when we're in the middle of a conversation with someone we don't particularly care to be in one with. Just as Jesus is God's proxy, God needs to be ours with all that we do, think, feel & say.