The Best Thing I've Ever Done

I've come to realize that God wants us to spend time with Him so that He can bless us. 

I struggled for some time about making regular, quality alone time with God in the word.  Thinking about it and adjusting to doing it felt like a chore, but the more I did spend time with Him, fully surrendering that time to Him and inviting Him in with me aloud with my mouth, the more I began to enjoy it.

The more I spent time with Him, the more I learned, the more I grew, the more sensitive I became to His voice, the more I wanted more of Him. What was initially a duty became my delight.

Now I realize that spending time with God is not just a rule, but it is for our own good and benefit. In His presence I've found answers to my questions, guidance for my problems, revelation that has brought peace, understanding, and joy. In His presence I feel one with Him. I am.  In His presence I lay all of my burdens, fears, questions, decisions, and thankfulness at His feet.

There have been many times where I've felt burdened, depressed, worried, concerned, fearful because of things that I'd done, said, thought, because of questions. I did not know how God would respond to what I was experiencing. Would he be mad at me? Would he shun me? Would he send me to hell? Would he "get" me? I did not know. I just knew that the guilt and fear I felt tormented me and kept me from opening my mouth, from the heart, with what I really felt. But the more I spent time with Him regularly and studied the word, listened attentively in church, sought seasoned Christians about God and growing in Him, the more I was reminded of His love. That He wanted me to share my heart with Him - the good and the bad.

I learned that there was nothing that I could do that would make Him love me less. I learned that His love was not based on my merit or behavior or situation, but on who He is. I learned that He wanted me to confess my sins, my secrets, from the innermost parts of my heart and that in doing so, He would change my heart, make me free, and exchange the guilt and fear for peace, confidence and the "knowing" that I am loved and accepted by Him. 

Coming to this place was a process, it took time, little by little, as I stepped out on faith to trust God with my secrets, my insecurities, my sins, my struggles, and each time He showed me that I was not condemned, but that's I was loved. 

As I opened my heart, He showed me that He was not concerned with the sin, but with my heart being free. As I poured out my soul to Him, He showed me that my secrets were not secrets, that He'd known them all along and had been waiting for permission from me to come into my heart to invade it with the power of His perfect love that casts out all fear. 

Falling in love with Jesus is learning to trust Him and to realize His goodness, love, gentleness, patience, friendship, faithfulness, and power to transform, to heal, to forgive, to love unconditionally.  

I know that the greatest thing that any person has ever wanted or could want is unconditional love, and that is what God has to offer us through Christ. While we were yet sinners, Christ chose to give up His all- His throne, Connection with the Father, His blood, which is Everlasting Life, so that we could be reconnected with the Father and have the deepest longings of our hearts fulfilled--unconditional love, acceptance, eternal life, abundance, purpose, joy and power. 

Falling in love with Jesus is the best thing I've ever done. This is not a statement of arrival. This life is a journey and a process, but I thought I'd share a moment of transparency within my continuing journey.

For more devotionals to come, check out my blog at:

www.dutytodelight2@blogspot.com