I still remember the breathless anticipation of a date night when I was younger. I loved romance; I loved to dress up to try to “wow” my date. Whether it was going to a fancy restaurant and enjoying a fine meal, or a five-mile hike and a picnic—the excitement was the same.
I couldn’t wait!
Now God has added to my life a different kind of date, and it sparks a very similar emotion of hopeful expectation while producing a deeper, and much longer-lasting satisfaction. Do you have any idea what it is? Well, it is my morning quiet time with Him. Now, don’t get me wrong—I don’t ALWAYS leap out of bed excited about my quiet time!
Sometimes events from the previous day, trouble, or even a bad dream can cause me to awaken and be stuck inside my head. But God is a faithful lover and He has given me unwavering hope that when I sit down with my coffee to read His Word, or when I stand in praise or prayer—He WILL satisfy my soul’s deepest longings. He gives me marvelous love, joy, peace, wisdom, and comfort that comes from a love-relationship with the ONLY perfect Lover. He loves me—body, soul and spirit!
My alone time with Jesus is my favorite date!
For the first part of my Christian life, I never understood that I could have such a deep and satisfying relationship with God. I anticipated my quiet time about as much as calculus homework! However, as I began to get to know God, I discovered He reaches down to communicate with me where I am. Like a mechanical engineer lovingly teaching science to his third-grade daughter, God communicates with me based upon my limitations while also challenging me to grow. The more I desire to learn, the more He teaches. The more I desire His presence, the greater I desire to know Him, as the fountain of all goodness.
When I desire God, His presence satisfies me in multifaceted dimensions; when I need answers for a tough problem, the wisdom He gives me staggers my imagination; when I feel as if my enemies have beaten me, the strong comfort of His presence reminds me that it’s only part of the race and in the end—we win. He embraces my heart and I allow Him to renew my mind in truth. One of my favorite experiences in God’s presence is when His Spirit invokes praise. This happens when I begin to thank Him for everything I can think of—which causes powerful waves of praise to well up inside me and overflow. Like someone who is crazy in love—I can’t stop talking and singing about Him—and rejoice that I get to belong to Him!
My friend, time with God is an amazing, personal journey discovering the richness of His presence as described over and over again in His Word:
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Romans 11:33-36
Amazing! God, who created all things, knows all things, and loves His creation—desires to spend time with us. Time alone with God is always the best time of my day!
How could it ever not be?
