I had a great talk with some close friends\brothers in my church. These are a great bunch of guys, who are business professionals, husbands, dads & disciples. These guys have chosen to follow God longer than I can remember (so I'M the young one here!!) but we all still struggle with balancing God & consistency in with our time w\God.

What I love about this is that, here are 3 guys who love God, but are strong (or smart) enough to share where are struggles are... especially when it comes to God. (I say smart because we all know that no one's perfect & scar-free... there will always be something that is our Achilles heel. When someone tells me that they're "good", it's time to scratch thru that surface) So we had a quick but real conversation about where we "are" and it was a great opportunity to challenge my brothers to making time w\God 1st thing in the morning. (Well, let's get our quiet time done daily, and work on "making it the first thing in our day" second). So today's quiet time for me is going to be on... spending time w\God!

When someone says "I don't feel like I have a close relationship w\God", our question to them should be, "Well, how are your quiet times?" We know that one can't stay strong without spending time w\God - The devil knows this! The devil is dead-set determined to make sure that we don't spend time w\God... Or struggle to do it consistently, at the very least. On paper, we know what we need to do, why it's important, and how much the devil will try & stop us... But in the real world, it's much harder to stand by our word.

We are all familiar with what this scripture is telling us, and it's value:

But making it happen is another task completely. God is god of action, not stagnation - He is a Father of verbs... He wants us to seek Him always. When we're hungry, watch us seek food, when we're tired, watch us seek a nap or a coffee (or diet coke)... So how much more should we seek God for any & every thing in our lives? Not just for strength or patience, but in gratitude for this particular moment in our lives. Going to God for His Help when times are tough is a great indicator of a true disciple, but let's take it s step further and thank Him for our day, even if it's freezing outside, or sweltering hot...

Spending time with God is so important that when it doesn't happen, nothing else will fall into place. As disciples, if our foundation isn't with God, then the devil will chew us apart. Spending time with God, draws us closer to Him, and thereby keeps the devil further at bay. What would happen if the CEO of a fortune 500 company, went & locked his door to be alone and spend his time with God because that's how he wanted to start his day each & every morning? It is clearly noted how Jesus spent time with God, and notice how powerful He was. yes, He was the Son of God, but aren't we (on a much less metaphysical level?!?) He got His strength from God, and that meant reaching out to Him, praying, and talking to God frequently.

Now, there is no formula in spending time with God... There is no plan - we just need to make the time & give it to God. If all we could eat is our favorite dish for the rest of our lives: breakfast, lunch & dinner... we'd end up not wanting to eat any more! God simply wants us - period! He's not expecting a micro-sermon but simply some heartfelt conversation with Him. Nothing boilerplate or vague, but honest talk about what we're not only struggling with, but also with the good in our lives (and there is a ton of good!)

If you're like me, then you have a hard time remembering your quiet time when lunch comes. But God doesn't care - He's happy with the fact that you took the time to open your bible this morning, read a scripture or two, and talk & pray to Him.

God is deserving of our first fruits - our money, our time, and He deserves us to make decisions that put Him first in our lives. I am grateful for all that He's done with me, and where I am because I remember where I came from. I thank Him for the progress he's so patiently put me through, and I can never repay any of it. I'm grateful to have brothers in my life with whom I can honestly talk to, and not fear their judgment, but to be encouraged, and vice-versa. Because this is what God wants us all to do\have.