Dear Friends:

Remember last June when school was out and the freedom of summer schedule just beginning? By now the dreams of the lazy days of summer have probably been exchanged for the reality of the crazy days of summer.

Knowing that life gets too complicated for most of us, I thought that the devotional thought for this month should be simple. In fact, it's about just “one things”.

Some time ago, I began to write down all the “If you can only do one thing . . .” ideas I was hearing and reading for improving our lives. Here are some of them:  

If you can make only one change in your diet to lose weight , eat more fiber. The theory is that the fiber satisfies our hunger longer and helps to regulate the digestive system.  

If you can do only one thing to improve the appearance of your home , de-clutter. Most of us have too much stuff. Getting rid of some of it makes our homes feel larger, cleaner, and fresher.

If you can afford to buy only one high quality hair care product , buy good shampoo. The concept is that grime, gels, and hair sprays build up on our hair. Low-quality shampoos do not remove all those things completely. Instead, they actually add a residue of their own. So, buy the good shampoo to get hair squeaky clean – cleaner hair is healthier hair.  

If you can do only one thing to improve your brain , exercise. Not mental exercise, though that's good too, but physical exercise. Researchers tell us that physical exercise sends blood to the brain and blood is like fertilizer for healthy brain activity and cell growth.  

If you can do only one thing improve your family relationships , have at least one meal a day together. Consistently sitting down together around a table gives a time for communication, shared enjoyment of a prepared meal, and a sense of family.  

If you can do only one thing to ward off sickness , wash your hands often. Bacteria are carried and spread on our hands more than on any other part of our bodies. Frequent hand washing will help keep those germs away.

It all sounds like good advice. But if you're reading this devotional, you're looking for lots more than ideas about living life. You want to know the one thing you can do to have a deeper, more fulfilling spiritual life. So here it is:  

If you can do only one thing to improve your relationship with God , give Him time.

That's it. It's that simple. Just time. Just for Him. This is a prescription that is do-able for all of us. Think about it, though. Isn't time the hardest thing to give Him? We are willing to give of our money. We are willing to stay busy for Him, but are we willing to give Him just time?

Time to read the Bible, meditate on it, and deeply breathe in His message to us.

Time to pray – just the two of us – when we can share the deepest concerns of our hearts, listen for direction, and simply enjoy His presence.

Why do you think there are so many distractions that will keep us from giving God time? Because our time is what He wants most from us . And, knowing that, our enemy will do whatever he can to fill our time with everything else. If the enemy is so intent on keeping us from spending time with God, it makes me think there is great danger to him in our doing so! Great threat to Satan means great possibility for us!

My encouragement to you would be to give God some time (just the two of you) every day – even if it is just a few minutes. Then once a week , give yourself a day of rest and God a day of worship – the two go nicely together!

And, then, give Him some longer periods of time once in awhile – an afternoon at the beach when you can read from His Word and talk to Him for a couple of hours. Or a weekend away when you and your heavenly Father can retreat alone together for extended and undistracted hours. He does not demand that from us, but He desires it. And when we give Him time, He rewards us in ways we cannot even imagine.

If you can do only one thing to let God know you love Him, give Him time. You will never be sorry you did. Here's how I know –  

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave mea firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God . . .” (Psalm 40:1-3a)  

“My soul finds rest in God alone . . . (Psalm 62:1a)  

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)  

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. . . the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:15b, 18)

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Enjoy some time alone with God this week and experience His love, His grace, and His power. God is a reward worth seeking!

In the joy of anticipation,

Bev
http://www.beverlyvankampen.com