~God Smack~

Again I am sipping my tea here with you...reflecting. The rain was pouring down outside and now appears to be slowing down. We needed the rain. The earth was dry. Refreshing! YES! Now the earth is refreshed. 

I have completed reading the Psalms and have begun to read a new book...well new to me. The book is all about fervent praying. I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel and think I am more Jesus-y than I am...more spiritual. Then I get a subtle smack of reality. I am me here...open...honest...so I will tell you that I have been "smacked" with the reality of my "Jesus-y" life in the past couple weeks.

I was reading a devotional about pride. Pride? "Na, can't relate. It's never been an issue with me", I told God. Father said, "really?" Looking up at Him, "well I am not one who goes around saying 'Oh look at me! See what I have done! See how good I do things.' So, no, God, it's not an issue with me." Again Father whispered, "really!" This time more in a "tone". So, I sat in my chair thinking. Well, this was a wake up call. I HAD been being prideful in a way I never thought I would or that I thought of as prideful until I searched my heart and soul. I needed to humble myself. I was prideful in being Jesus-y. What? How can you be prideful in that, you ask. Easy! I cherished my time with Father and all that I was learning from Him. That isn't prideful, you say. You are correct! Learning from Him and being with Him is not prideful BUT the pride came in when I began to think, (oh and this is even humbling to admit), but I began to think that I was a better Jesus follower than some. Ouch! That hits at my heart and soul. It is the truth. It was pride. So, I had to deal with that with Father! We dealt with it! So now, I can honestly say, I no longer think or feel that way! Whew! Then I was recently "smacked" with another reality.

I am reading a book now, as I said, about praying fervently. The very first chapter was focused on praying to get your passion back. "Well, God, I will read this chapter because I really like the author and how she 'talks' and I will very likely find some good things in here that she says," I told Father. I began to read. She had very good things to say. Besides, I like her writing style because it is real and it is like she is there talking to me. As I was reading, Father tapped me on the shoulder. "Um, you do commune with me a lot, but you don't get down and passionately talk to Me." I took a pause in my reading. I searched my heart and soul. Wow! Smack! I do talk to Father on and off all day long...and I love that communication. I talk and listen as we go about our day. But He was right, of course, it has been a long time since I truly fervently and passionately prayed. Oh, of course I pray for issues and people as need arises. I have not been fully participating in prayer! I learned, in reading, that I need to return to the heart wrenching prayers! The lifting of my hands up in prayer! The deeper life prayers! 

I was "God smacked" twice within a couple of weeks. Some may call them "wake up calls". It's important to soul search. The time of reading the Psalms taught me the importance of obeying God. There was a reason and learning from Him wanting me to only focus on the Psalms and no other written books. For me, the main reason was obedience. I listened to and learned from Father by obeying. Other authors had become my learning. Father showed me that my learning must come from His Word and not what others have to say about His word. Yes, He gave them the gift and ability of writing and that is well and good BUT His Word is Truth and THE Word! The Psalms showed me things....and then I was ready to move on back into reading what people had to say. This time with a different approach. 

I want to challenge you. Maybe challenge is the wrong word. I want to Inspire you to look deep into your heart and soul. Maybe you will get assistance from a book. Searching scriptures WILL help. But, look into your heart and soul. Is there something hidden that you need to take care of with Father. I honestly had no idea there were a couple hidden things in me that I had to go to Father with until I read from things others had to say. Maybe someone has confronted you with something you need to change and you put it off as more of a criticism. Whatever the case, talk to Father about it. He listens. Wait for Him to respond. Be still! Sit quietly with Him! 

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" Ezekiel 36:26