Stay Connected

Stay Connected!

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Just as our human body needs daily nourishment to grow and survive, our spiritual lives need daily spiritual food to grow and survive. Our mobile devices (cellphones/laptops/tablets)  will not last one week of use from one single charge, the same way we can’t just eat one meal and expect to survive and perform properly for the rest of the week from that single meal. Why then do we, as Christians, expect to grow and survive spiritually the whole week just from the pastor’s sermon every Sunday morning?

1) Spending Time

We are in a loving relationship with our Lord. Just like all relationships, we need to invest time and effort in it so that the relationship will thrive and grow. When we go out on dates/bonding moments with our loved ones, we need to set apart that time as exclusive for them. The same way we need to set apart a time exclusively for the Lord each day to talk to Him and to listen to Him.

2) Staying Connected

All of us love to read letters/emails/texts/private messages from our loved ones. We usually read it more than one time. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. If we love the Lord as much as we claim, why then do we have so little interest in reading and studying His words? Shouldn’t we feel excitement  because the Lord of lords, King of kings, Creator of all things is the one pursuing us in our relationship with Him? The more we communicate with Him, the more we get to know about Him. The more we know about Him, the more we will live according to His will.

Important factors in getting connected.

To get the most from our connection with the Lord, there are 3 things that are important.

1. Time – we need to find a daily regular schedule that we want to set aside exclusively for the Lord. Find a time of the day when you will be alert and free and then mark that time down. This will be our daily date time with the Lord.
2. Place – find a place that is well lighted, quiet and free from distractions. That place will be your daily meeting place for our date the Lord
3. Setting – we need to make sure that we are free from anything that will distract us from our time with the Lord. Do not bring your mobile devices or any other thing with you during this encounter with the Lord. We need to be focused solely on the Lord.

How do we study God’s Word?

1. Pray – most of our prayers are spent for selfish asking from the Lord. One of the Hebrew words for prayer is Teffilah, which means self-evaluation. Prayer should be a time of self-evaluation. We need to see how we measure up to the standards of the Lord and then confess when we fall short. Ask the Lord to speak to us through the moving of the Holy Spirit when we study His word.
2. Read/Study – When we want to learn something, we do not just read, we need to really study it. We need to have an attitude that we want to discover something new every time we study God’s word. Have a notebook ready with you so you can take down notes about the things you are discovering and learning.
3. Meditate – This is not the new age meditation where we empty our minds and allow whatever thoughts to enter. Biblical meditation is to actively think and go over God’s word and see how we can apply it our daily living. When we meditate on God’s Word, we allow it to soak though our mind. We will then find it easier for our behavior to be controlled by God’s Word. True encounter with the Lord should bring transformations in our lives.

Are you connected to the Lord? Do you spend time praying and studying His words daily? If not then maybe it’s time to get connected.