Happy New Year!

Do you struggle with distractions? I do. When I sit down in the morning to spend time with God, all kinds of distracting thoughts come to my mind – like who won last night’s game, which new app is available on Amazon App Store, what I need to do for the day…

I have to willfully shut it all down. And it is hard!

But when I actually do shut it all down and left with only Jesus, I’m filled with the wonder of it all.

The wonder of Jesus’ crucifixion for the sins of the world is getting fresher and greater for me.

Everything else, after the initial excitement dies down, gets old and dull – even things as wonderful as being married and having children… (Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife and kids. But not as wonder-filled as when I first got married or had kids…)

And this was true of the fact of crucifixion for a long time. I knew Jesus died for me and that was that. I’m saved and so let’s move on…

But as I’m becoming more aware of my sinfulness and of how I despise everything that destroys what God made to be good, I find myself asking, “Why, Lord? Why would you ever send your Son to die for people like us? I can’t believe You did that!”

Ps. 114:8, “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.”

Do you realize Jesus refers to Himself both as the rock and springs of water? He is the One, the only One, we can turn to for refreshing. Everything else will leave us dull and bored eventually. He is the One who can quench our thirst and keep quenching it.

Let’s remove all our distractions. We must fight for our time with God. And it will be a fight every morning/evening.

But the reward we get is His wonder and refreshing, not like the world gives.

Blessings,

PH