My #1 Priority!

"I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in his word do I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I
say, more than they that watch for the morning." Psalm 130:5-6

It seems like every time I've started to do my Bible reading lately, a little nagging voice comes to my mind, saying: "You're just quickly doing this so you can get on to doing something else. You're rushing through this to say that you've done it, you've spent at least ten minutes in the Word, and you can check it off on your 'devotions calendar' that you did it, isn't it? When was the last time you wrote something down in your journal?" And that little voice is right: I fear that my quiet time with the Lord has slowly become more and more a rushed and hastily completed activity than a time of communing with God and seeking His face.

Now, I'm going to let you in on something that I have told very few people: A while back, I decided that I would not get on Facebook until I had done my devotions, as I've discovered firsthand how addicting and time-wasting Facebook really is. And if I may say so without bragging, I have been able to keep that commitment. However, I think I may have to do the same with Blogger. . .ahhh, I think I have discovered something about myself lately--I love to write and express my thoughts in writing! But, even something as good as blogging can be harmful if it comes before and between my relationship with God!

Psalm 130:6 says that "My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning:" The immediate picture that came to mind when I read those words was that of a person who is lying in bed, wide awake, and watching the digital clock on the bedstand change it's numbers, minute by minute. A few minutes seem like an eternity, and still rest is not to be found. The minutes tick into hours, and the person is resolved to his plight: He will have to wait for the first signs of dawn to break the sky for a reason to get up! He cannot wait! It is all he can think about: "Oh how good it will be when morning finally comes!"

In the same way a person awaits morning after a sleepless night, I too should wait for the Lord. I cannot wait to get up and meet with God; I cannot wait to put aside that page-turning book and open up the Bible! I cannot wait to spend a few extra minutes jotting down my thoughts on what God taught me through His Word, even though I really want to do something else! My heart and mind look forward to spending this time with God--it is not just a dutiful reading of a few chapters because I know it is what I'm supposed to do. Rather, it is the most treasured time of my day--it is all I can think about! And until it is done, everything else is insignificant and unimportant! It is the number one priority of my day and everything revolves around it!

Unfortunately, the above paragraph does not describe me. I fear (and in my heart, I know the truth) that I have been giving more time to writing something for others to read than seeking what the Master Author has written for me to read; I have spent significantly more time checking the blogspots of various friends than "checking in" with the best Friend of all times. In short, I've allowed something good to become a hindrance, and I don't want that!

So. . . this is my resolution: From now on, I want my #1 priority of each and every day to be my personal time with God! It's hard, but something has got to change if I am going to take baby-steps forward, instead of backward, in my relationship with God! Nothing else in my leisure time until I have met with God through His Word!