A Love Life Like No Other

I think I'll stretch this topic over a few days because there's so much to it.

My friend Oce commented yesterday about the need to proceed into ministry opportunities with peace. I so agree. It's 'way too easy to assume that we need to accept every op that comes along, when in reality, that's not always the case. Also, we don't have to accept invitations immediately -- rather, we need to take time to listen to God's voice before saying yes. If we can do so with peace, then great! Move ahead. If there's an uneasiness, then say no. Sometimes "doing" ministry can actually get in the way of our relationship with the Lord, and proceeding without Him is a sure-fire way for that to happen.

Here's something that I've found interesting in the past week. I often wake up with a praise song running through my head. It never dawned on me until a few days ago that this could be the Lord Himself speaking to me, using the song as His instrument. Maybe I'm a bit slow to catch on. You see, He's ministered to me many times through music, but those times have always been when I've been awake. This is different - the songs are already playing in my head when I wake up.

This morning I woke to the Newsboys' "Amazing Love" -- aka "You are My King." Rather than brushing it off as simply a nice song, I considered it God's way of speaking to me. I made a cup of tea, took my Bible and journal to my favorite spot in my living room, and spent a few quiet moments savoring the message in the lyrics, "Amazing love, how can it be, that You my King should die for me?" What a great way to start my day, being reminded by God Himself that He loves me and wants relationship with me!

Now that I'm aware of Him speaking through these early morning songs, I make a point of being quiet so I can hear them and understand what He's trying to tell me.

How about you? Have you had a similar experience with a song?

What Matters Most?

The beginning of a new year is a good time to ponder what really matters. Life gets so busy that it's easy to be distracted and miss the mark. That's not the way I want to live, and you probably feel the same way.

This morning I read about Enoch -- the guy lived to be 365 years old. Genesis 5 gives him more attention than the other fellows listed before him, but still, it says only two things: he had a son named Methuselah when he was 65 years old, and he had a vibrant relationship with God.

It's interesting that the last fact is mentioned not just once, but twice. Enoch had close fellowship with God (v.22) and he enjoyed a close relationship with God all his life (v. 24). Oh yeah, there's one more thing: he suddenly disappeared because God took him.

The Bible could have listed Enoch's accomplishments and adventures, but it doesn't. It simply stresses the fact that he enjoyed a close walk with God.

As I look into the upcoming months, I must admit that I feel a little anxious at times. The life of a writer/speaker isn't as glamorous as it may appear on the surface -- there's lots of behind-the-scenes hard work and sweat. And judging by what's on my plate, I'll be sweating more than a little. But the bottom line is this -- the quality of my walk with God.

That relationship must come first. That means carving out time for Him when I'm fresh and alert, not giving Him the leftovers when I'm too tired to recognize His voice. It means saying no to some activities so I'm available for what He wants me to do. It means being willing to do whatever He asks even if it seems illogical or too time-consuming at the moment. If that relationship is in order, the rest of my life will be in order, too.

I'm not going to live to be 365 years old like Enoch. I'll have 80 or 90 years on earth, maybe. What will people say about me when I'm gone? Will they say, "She had close fellowship with God?" I hope so.

Tomorrow I'll blog about how I maintain fellowship with God in the midst of a very busy ministry. I'd love to hear your thoughts -- struggles and secrets -- on this topic.