Give Your Firstfruits (of time) To Jesus

(I got to see a whale the other morning! You can see his tail here.)

(More wildlife shots. These pelicans were so graceful as they flew by in their formation.)

There are so many options for distractions. The demand of work, TV shows, movies, sleep, exercise, hanging out with friends and family, etc. None of these are bad, but it we choose those over alone time with God, or reading His word, or time in prayer, that's when those things become an issue.

Jesus tells us to shut the door to pray, NOT to stand out on the corners of the street, use fancy words, and try to impress people with our prayers. "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:6). 

God wants us to spend time ALONE with Him. Jesus would speak in parables to the public, but when He was ALONE with His disciples, that's when He would explain everything to them! (Mark 4:34). Haven't you experienced that? When you spend time alone with Him, He gives you a clearer understanding of scripture and of His heart? Even when life is crazy, if we would set aside that time and fix our eyes on Him, He will calm the storm and speak to us, even if it is only for the moment that we are with Him. When we leave that quiet place or time, life has not stopped, it continues the way it was before, only we have a different lens to view it though, we now have God's wisdom to approach our day.

This reminds me of how Peter got out of the boat to walk on the water towards Jesus.

"Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to [His disciples], walking on the lake. When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It's a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don' be afraid.' 'Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.' 'Come,' He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  (Matthew 14:25-29)

When Peter got out of the boat to walk towards Jesus, the wind had not died down yet! As long as Peter kept his eyes and thoughts fixed on Jesus, he was able to stay afloat. The moment Peter started to think about the other things going on (an angry sea) - he lost his focus on Jesus and lost faith in Jesus's abilities - Peter began to sink. That's what happens to us when we squeeze God into our busy schedule. It is easy to lose focus when we do not have alone time with Him in a designated place and/or designated time. The stressors AND the joys of life can take our focus off of Jesus. 

The good news is that Jesus will reach out His hand and pick you up when you sink or fall. He will not give up on you no matter the circumstances. 

But when [Peter] saw the wind he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. " (Mathew 14:30-31)

When He does pick you back up, graciously thank Him and remind yourself of the importance of that time you have with Him. Work on putting it back into your schedule. The Lord wants you to experience joy in your life, He wants you to enjoy His creation, your family, your friends, and the talents He has given His children, but He wants you to choose Him first.

Proverbs 3:9 says, "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

The Lord has given us a life that is blessed with a wealth of time. We need to give Him time first and when we do that, He will bless our time with our loved ones so much more!

How do you spend time with God? I have a designated time in the morning that I intend to continue beyond my 30 day challenge. I would like to work on being in constant communication with Him throughout my day.

How about you, what does your relationship with Jesus look like? Do you have a designated time or place for your quiet time with Him? Do you remain in Him all day long? If so, what does your day look like with Him? Please share so we can learn from each other!