Just let Him be Jesus to you...

It's been over a MONTH since I posted the last blog! I'm a slacker! Sorry, y'all! It's been a crazy month. It's like March got here and just decided to skip over the first 2 weeks and then, boom. Right in the middle of the month! I've been trying to think of what to write about. And, honestly, it's been difficult. Sometimes you have thoughts you think might encourage someone else and then sometimes you're the one needing encouraging. Recently I've felt like the Lord has been increasing my faith, thankfully. I sure need it. I've just felt more of a calm about things and feel like He's been sending encouragement my way. But, I've also had a really hard time getting my mind focused in prayer. I try, but it's been a struggle. There's plenty of things to pray about, and maybe that's what at times makes it difficult. There's SO much it's hard to even start sorting through all the worries. The list of things that need His attention just seems overwhelming. Last night Dustin was down praying and I was doing some Bible reading and praying myself before we went to bed. I had been reading and then set back against my pillows and was silently praying in my mind. Dustin looked up and said, "Do you ever find joy in praying? You always look like you're agonizing." Now, don't get me wrong or be offended. He wasn't in the slightest way trying to make me feel bad or tell me I was praying wrong. The exact opposite. He knows that I tend to sometimes have a harsh view of how God must feel about me. So, he tries to help me realize just how much I'm loved by my Heavenly Father. But, since Dustin asked me that I have thought about it. I don't often go to God with just a desire to talk with Him. I have in my head that prayer must be done a certain way or it doesn't "count". Yet, when I think about the joy and peace of just sitting in His presence I could cry. That's what I want. I want that peace, that comfort. I need that. So, maybe during those times when fervent, bold, agonizing prayer doesn't come so easy, just maybe He's calling me to simply sit at His feet and let Him love me. Have you ever thought that God appreciates you? Not in the sense that He couldn't do all this without us, because He certainly could. But think about this. The book of Matthew holds a parable that Jesus used. He told the story of a man traveling in a far country. He left 3 of his servants 3 different amounts of money. The first 2 servants invested the money and made profit. Their master said, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." This parable is an example of what we should do with what God has given us and what the reward for being faithful to Him will be. It sure sounds to me like the master appreciated his servants' efforts. "Well done, good and faithful servant - enter thou into the joy of thy lord." You did a good job, kid. The master appreciated what his servants had done for him. Sure, he could have hired a million other servants, but he appreciate that the servants he had were faithful. God appreciates our faithfulness. If you feel like no one else in the world appreciates what you're doing or how hard you're working, know that God does. Your Heavenly Father is so proud of your hard work, your faithfulness, your determination. He sees every sacrifice you've made and every promise you've kept and, oh boy, He's beaming. You're His child and He's keeping record. Now when the Word talks about that third servant I've always noticed that what kept him from investing the money he was given was fear. The servant makes an excuse for why he hasn't been successful with what he was given, "Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man," He had the wrong idea of who his master was. He was afraid that his master would look at the outcome if he lost what he was given and be furious. He didn't account for the fact that, maybe, even he didn't gain what he hoped, his master would look at his efforts and he would be rewarded. He assumed his master was going to judge him harshly. How many times have we given into laziness and complacency because, at the root of the matter, we're afraid what we have to offer God isn't good enough so we end up not offering Him anything at all? How many times have we thought our prayers weren't long enough or sincere enough? How many times have we thought we didn't read enough or study enough and instead of taking the time to listen to what God is trying to speak into our hearts, instead of taking time to "Be still", we close our Bibles or walk out of our prayer closet defeated? Why is it so hard for us to simply rest in Him? To realize He's always with us, He longs for intercession with us, He longs to be on our hearts and minds. Why can't we ever just meet with Him with no pre-conceived ideas of how things should go? Sure, there are times my prayer time is intense. I'm crying out to Him or praising Him for something He's done and I could just keep going and going because His presence is so strong. Then, there are times when I play soft, instrumental worship music and read His Word and just meditate on Who He is and He fills me with such peace. Why can't we just let God be Whoever He wants to be in our lives? Sometimes it's a rushing wind, sometimes it's a still small voice. What does God want to be to you today? Your peace? Your fervor? Your hunger? The fire that is shut up in your bones? The gentle Spirit that sweeps in and give you calm you can't even understand? He is ALL of these things and more. Whatever you do tonight, take time to let Him speak to you. Set down and think on Who He is. God doesn't come and go, He's with us always. Take some time to be aware of His presence.

Here's a video I play sometimes when I'm needing to just find some peace and stillness in the middle of trying or sad days. I love to keep music like this on while I'm reading or praying.

Hope you enjoy it too! :)