“Where’s the Chocolate?”  Devotional #16

            I’m not a big candy person but offer me a good piece of chocolate and I cannot resist!  I love dark chocolate in particular.  There are times I crave chocolate and try to find my secret stash only to find out that one of my beloved children got to it first!  A craving is simply something you desire.  Until whenever I can satisfy that chocolate craving my mind will not forget!

At this season in my life I can honestly say, and the Lord knows my heart, I desperately crave my one on one time with Him.  I love and look forward to my prayer time with Him.  I love to read and study His Word and dive into what I’m currently writing for the ministry like a little kid in a candy store!  There was a time, though, that I didn’t crave the Lord in this way. 

Days’ even weeks would go by and I wouldn’t pray, read or study His Word on my own.  The only time I’d look for my Bible would be on a Sunday morning.  It never crossed my mind to study His Word on my own, let alone full time ministry.  If you were to have told me then that I would be doing this now I’d laugh and tell you that I wasn’t fit to be His servant in ministry.  Thank God Almighty I’m not the same now!  Thank God He changed my cravings for things that this world has to offer to craving Him above all else!  To have an unbelievably strong desire to spend time with Him and His Word instead of an unbelievably strong desire to catch the latest television program that night!

How about you my dear friend?  Are you similar to “the me I used to be” or like “the me I am today?”  I know that it’s challenging to be consistent and persistent with prayer and the study of His Word but just like everything else we hold dear to our lives if we make it a priority it will happen.  If you’re like “the me I used to be” then you’ve made the best decision in your life which was to accept the Lord as your Savior but growth has been slow going.  I used to go to church every Sunday and participated in the Youth Group every Friday.  I used to participate in church functions and I even served in the church as the pianist and choir leader.  Outwardly I exhibited what I thought a Christian was supposed to be but what was missing?  What was missing was a true and meaningful relationship with God and not depend on others to spoon feed me His Word.

Mathew 22:37 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”  If we let it the busy-ness of life can keep us from a close relationship with God.  This world we live in today is stressful! It’s like we’re always on the run!  There’s always something to do, somewhere to go, someone to talk to.  It never ends!  This on-the-go-living can cause anxiety and the need to always “do” can keep one from doing the one thing that can and does help, really help with life.  That thing is pray.  Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” 

A relationship with Christ that’s constantly growing includes reading and studying His Word.  How are we to know God, like really know Him if we don’t get to know Him.  I use this example a lot in my Bible Studies: A woman and a man are at the end of their wedding ceremony and the Pastor declares them married.  They kiss each other and say, “See you in twenty-five years.” How many times has a believer in Christ done this very thing?  They may go to church or serve in some way, as I did, but, personal study is no where on the horizon.  The Lord gave the following advice to the future kings of Israel in reference to His Word but we can apply it to our lives too.  It’s in Deuteronomy 17:18-20, “…he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left…” 

To be “the me I am today,” took time, consistency, persistence and determination.  Believe me, if I could change you can too.  If you have also been growing in your personal relationship with God, praise God!  If not, then it’s never too late.  God can and would love to get closer to you.  Remember, Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” 

I’m so thankful for you my dear friend!  You are always in my prayers.  Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and read this devotional.  I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below about this devotional.  Also, if you have not done so already, would you be so kind as to pass this blog on to your friends and family?  I appreciate you more than you know!  God bless you!

*If you would like to read this same devotional in Spanish or know of someone that would please visit my Spanish blog at www.ministerioreflejandolaverdad.blogspot.com