Delighting in Spending Time Alone with Our Lord

by Samantha
from Virtuous Daughters, February 2011~Volume 10, Number 11

Beep . . . Beep . . . BEEP!!! Shutting off my alarm clock, I rolled out of bed. “Could it be morning already?” I asked myself. I was not too happy about leaving the warmth of my cozy covers. Grabbing my Bible and journal, I headed downstairs, on the lookout for a quiet place to have my devotions. I knew that the very best way to start off my day would be by spending some time alone with my Lord.

How many times have you been startled awake and got up “on the wrong side of the bed”? How many of those days did you skip morning devotions, simply because you “forgot,” or just didn’t feel like reading your Bible? Yes, we all have those kind of days sometimes, days that we start off with a negative attitude. I have found that often, the first thing you do in the morning sets the tone of your whole day. My whole attitude about my day can change drastically when I set aside time to “be still and know that He is God.” (Psalm 46:10) I love to spend time with my Lord—to sit at His feet, and let His Word, the Bible, speak to me. Many times, I cry out to God through the words of the psalmist—“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law!” (Psalm 119:18) Guess what, that is exactly what our Heavenly Father desires to do for the one who is ready and willing to hear what He has to say!
  
No words can express the deep joy that I feel when I commune with my Lord! What precious moments those are, in which I quiet my soul and truly ask the Lord to reveal Himself to me! They are often the  most rewarding times of my life! When I forget all else except my Savior, when I am still before Him, when I simply listen to His Spirit—then my Heavenly Father’s voice speaks clear and loud to my heart. He says, “Dear Daughter, come to Me and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (taken from Matthew 11:28–30)
  
My morning devotions mainly consist of two things: prayer and reading God’s Holy Word—the Bible. One thing that I have recently really enjoyed, is keeping a Bible journal. Mine is just a pretty notebook that I keep with me during my quiet times with the Lord. Sometimes, I write out verses that jumped out at me, or a summary from my morning Bible reading. For example, last week I wrote, “I just read the first four chapters of Genesis. What an amazingly glorious and yet sad story it is—all at the same time. First, we have the wondrous account of the creation of the world—all by the Word of His power. Then, the sad account of Eve, listening to the wicked one’s lie. Following that, we have the story of the first family ever! After Cain killed his brother and is confronted by God, this verse jumped out at me . . . “Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord…” (Genesis 4:16) What a terrible picture of Cain turning his back on God and living life his own way. There is always so much to learn from the Word of God—if only I would open my eyes and behold them!
  
Other times, though, I write out some prayers to the Lord. For an example, here is something I wrote a couple months ago, “Oh Heavenly Father, how good—how great—how lovely You are! Nothing else can even compare to Your matchless grace. You hedge me in behind and before, You guide me, ever so gently, with Your mighty hand. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me! It is high, I cannot attain it. Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes! In the way of Your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. Blessed Savior, I have decided to follow You—no turning back! Though none go with me, still I will follow—no turning back, no turning back. Help me to reflect Your glory, beauty, and holiness well today, Lord. I want to follow You with all of my heart, not some of it. You are the treasure that I seek. Worthy is Your Name! You are my best friend, my dearest Companion, my mighty Savior, Who will never leave me nor forsake me. What blessed peace that knowledge gives me! How could I ever settle for anything less?!” My Bible journal has become such an encouragement and joy to look back on. Sometimes I begin to write of my deep despair and terrible struggles. By the end of my journal entry, though, my focus has totally shifted to my Savior and all He has done for me! The things of earth do grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
  
​Perhaps you do not find joy in sitting at the Lord’s feet and worshipping Him wholeheartedly. I encourage you, do not become discouraged! Spending time with our Lord is something that does not come naturally at first. Purpose, though, to make it a daily discipline! Paul says, “...I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) He encourages us to be as an athlete who forgets all for the sake of winning the gold—the ultimate prize. May we likewise forsake all for the sake of the One whom we serve. Yes, it will take discipline, but dear sisters, it is well-worth it!!! The Lord of Hosts says to you, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jeremiah 33:3)