We asked a series of questions, ranging from funny to spiritual,
and the responses to one question in particular struck me:
When we asked how people’s prayer lives were going, 70% of us
(myself included) said we wish we were doing more, in comparison to the “Prayed
up!” 30%.
Personally, I put myself in the “wish I were praying more”
category because there’s this low-grade unrest simmering beneath the surface of
my soul that lasts a lot more hours than I want sometimes. Like everyone else’s,
my life has been in a constant state of shifting for weeks now: I cancelled a
mission trip, I learned a bunch of technology, my friends got furloughed, my grandparents
are in isolation, I haven’t stopped working and I just miss being able to hug
people!
God got to my heart in a special way last week. On a day when I came to his
presence feeling pretty guilty for ignoring him most of the day, before I could
get the words “I’m sorry” out, he drew me in through Hosea 11: My heart
recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender… For I am God and not a
man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
My soul needed that! God’s capacity for compassion far exceeds
our wandering in worry.
If some days you spend 15 of your 16 waking hours Netflixing more
than you planned, trying not to kill your quarantine buddies, working because
you just couldn’t stop, exhausting yourself with news consumption, and you get
to hour 16 and think, “Oh shoot, God must be pretty upset that I just wasted the
whole day without even thinking of him,” you can stop those lies right there in
their tracks, my friend.
God is never mad when we come into his presence, whether
it’s been 10 seconds or 10 years since we last thought of him. God always wants
to be with you.
If you’ve gained the “Quarantine 15”
and you’re disgusted with the slob that you’ve become, God still wants to be
with you.
If you snapped at your kids after
they asked to watch “Frozen 2” for the 15th time this week, God still wants to
be with you.
If you filed for unemployment today
and then worried all day long about where the money will come from, God still
wants to be with you.
If you’ve worked untold amounts of
stressful hours and you’re bitter at the people sitting at home on their
couches, God still wants to be with you.
If you got lost in the endless abyss
of news articles and COVID-19 predictions, God still wants to be with you.
If you spent all day alone and
overwhelmed by feelings of isolation and frustration, God still wants to be
with you.
Wherever you are, whatever this day or season has been like
for you, remember this: God always wants to be with you. God’s
default posture toward you is compassion. In his presence you’ll find fullness
of joy and an abundance of peace.
Go be with God in prayer - you can rest assured he always wants
to be with you!
Poll Results:
Overall, I’m feeling: Stir Crazy (70%) / Loving This! (30%)
I’m more of a: Home Projects (56%) / PJs All Day (44%)
kind of person
My quarantine snack supply is: Dwindling/nonexistent (35%) / Well-stocked
(65%)
I’m feeling more: Stressed (62%) / Relaxed (38%)
How’s your prayer life? I wish I were doing more (70%) / Prayed
up! (30%)
How’s your time with Jesus? I’m getting time every day (38%) / It’s
Sporadic, but Good (62%)