I know, I know we learn the days of the week in kindergarten. 7 times three is 21... so if I am on to week 3 and only day 9...? Imagine if this were a real, physical boot camp. I would have been kicked out after the first day of skipping out. Oh but the Lord is so good to us. His mercy is new every morning. His goodness lasts a life time and does not run out.
Yesterday I woke at 5:30..but the legs were an immovable force and the brain would not compute. I did get some God time..Praise him. My half hour was so yummy and only made me hungry for more. But alas my sleepy headedness kept me from the long desired soak in my Jesus's arms. Off to homeschooling, fixing lunch, the gym, more homeschooling, taking kids to lessons, pick up the sitter, go to leadership training course, date night with hubby, take the sitter home, and crash in to bed thankful...oh so thankful for a day done mostly right. Not by my power alone, but by his guiding me every step of the way.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2 As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
In order to pour out we have to take in; we need the necessary time to be poured into. In the military, would a soldier go in to the battle field with out first paying close attention to his Sergent's orders, and specific instructions. I hope not. I remember singing a song as a child about being in the army of God. I wanted to be his little christian soldier. Who are we fighting and what are we fighting for? We need God; we need to know our commanding officer. We need to show up at the debriefing in order to go about being his on purpose, living with him on purpose. We need to spend time training ourselves to hear his voice above all the others in our lives. We need to spend time with God one on one.
Ephesians 6:12
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Now one might be thinking "But the silence is so loud!"...No? I think silence can be so deafening. In fact it can put me to sleep like a fan at night in a child's room. It can also send me into a head spin of thoughts just to cover up all the silence. But then I am spending time with me and not my Jesus. Combat the silence with worship music....maybe...unless it distracts you too. Combat the silence with the sound of your own voice? This works. Praying out loud has much power and effect in not just staying awake. It is compared to standing up worshiping, verses sitting down. It is bringing yourself to fully be aware that you are talking to someone real, worth talking to. You are talking to someone who is listening to you and fully comprehends all you are saying...even not saying. It helps me acknowledge and address the one to whom I am speaking full on...looking him in the face. Instead of him haing around and talking to him with my eyes focused on my own feet. Awe but this is the challenge is it not. To be in a place comfy enough to chat out loud with your savior. We expect him to speak to us and beg him to, yet to raise our own voice to speak to him can be embarrassingly hard to do.
Matthew 14:23
After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
Matthew 6:5-6 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
I am not doing this boot camp thing for myself alone. I am benefiting. This boot camp is to help me live for others, with Jesus. I want to make a difference. I want to be an efficient worker in the fields that are ready to be harvested. I need to be able to farm/plant good seeds as well. I am doing this thing to know him More and more so that I can be filled, and over flowing on to those I love and those he places in my path.
God may be asking you to do something for him to meet him half way in getting you going in the right direction in your life. It might not be to wake up at 5:30 am but something else. Pray and ask God what you need to do in order to be filled more sufficiently by him. Ask God what it is that you need to do in order to hear his voice more clearly.
Lord God thank you for waking me up this morning! Thank you for this time to chat about the path you are taking me down. Lead us onward Lord! Lead on! Amen in Jesus name!
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