Whenever You're Ready

Each morning I awake in the pre-dawn darkness. As my consciousness returns to me chasing away the dreams of my slumber my thoughts set the tone for the day. Sometimes, like butterflies, my thoughts fly off to far away places, other times, like wild horses, they immediately chase after my 'to-do' list that awaits me. As soon as I am able to recognize what is going on I try to gather my flitting thoughts as in a net or I try to rein in those wild horses that I may reset their purpose by focusing my thoughts on my Creator. There are times when I succeed and times when I fail.

But regardless of my subjective success, everything is predicated upon the assumption that it is a new day; that the sun will rise, the wind will blow, the rain will come and I have yet another day on this ball of dirt called Earth. It is a safe assumption, that the sun will rise and it is natural that I count on that fact.

There is another assumption upon which I stake my life. That is whenever I show up to my morning appointment with God, He will always be there. He never fails to keep our appointment and though I may through laziness or interruption find myself unable to make the date, I know that he is there whenever I'm ready. All I have to do is get into the correct posture, spiritually and intellectually, ready to study, eager to learn with a contrite heart and expectation and He will come.

I know this to be true for two reasons. First, the lesser reason; it is my experience. In the same way that I know to withdraw my hand from a hot iron, by experience, I know that He comes.

Secondly, the more important reason; it is stated in God's Word. Consider;

Hosea 6:3 (The Message)
³ We’re ready to study God, eager for God-knowledge. As sure as dawn breaks, so sure is his daily arrival. He comes as rain comes, as spring rain refreshing the ground.”

Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002

Whether this passage was a prediction of future behavior by believers or a statement of then-current exhortation and encouragement among believers is of no consequence to me. As God's word it is eternal and continuous. It describes the conditions that are favorable for a meaningful daily devotional.

"We're ready to study God, eager for God-knowledge." This is a core requirement that reflects the true heart of the seeker. If you sit down to study God, His Word, His Son, His Spirit, His Will, His Mercy, His Grace, His Justness, His Faithfulness without a ready heart, if you do this begrudgingly as if by compulsion, then the core requirement is not met and your daily devotional, though performed, will not be as productive or profitable as intended. Our hearts should be as expectant as a new parent or someone about to receive a big award for that is what is about to happen.

When the core requirement is met, when our hearts and minds are right and we are in a posture of eager anticipation, "As sure as dawn breaks, so sure is his daily arrival." In the same way that we depend on the sun to rise in the morning, we are able to depend on God to arrive. I realize that is a little bit backwards for it is God that sets the standard, not the flaming ball we call the Sun but it is sufficient for our understanding.

His arrival in our daily life is not heralded by trumpets or claps of thunder. Rather he comes silently as the wind as easily as a breath and His presence is neither intrusive nor oppressive. He joins us as a loving friend, a doting teacher, a caring parent. His presence may be felt or not. Nevertheless, he is there.

The purpose of his arrival is not to make us feel better nor is it to reprove His faithfulness again and again. Rather "He comes as rain comes, as spring rain refreshing the ground." He comes to refresh us, to renew us, to give us the strength we need and the hope we desire. By His presence and our study, He imparts knowledge, wisdom and discernment. In His presence, his will is revealed and our orders unsealed.

So whenever you're ready, get into the right posture, clear your mind, still your heart. Open yourself to Him in eager anticipation and as you read His words from the Bible, He will come and you too will be refreshed.

Saturated,
Carl