Making Sacred Time for God

The sun dawns and stirs souls to engage the new day. As the sun brightens their eyes, they grab a cup of hot coffee or tea and spend the next hour, talking, listening and deeply engaging God in the sacred quietness they’ve structured into their lives. They pour out their heart to Him, He listens. He speaks to them of His truths and fashions their hearts and minds to be in unity with Him. Hebrews 8:10-11

Imagine if more people engaged God in this quiet, attentive, and intimate space. If more people did, more would.  People would see the provision, blessing, joy, peace and rest in the lives of those who had spent years seeking, and would know this intimacy of knowing God was the path to their deepest needs and desires. Yes, they would also see the intense spiritual struggle and angst the beginning of this path brings as the flesh-mind is transformed, but they also would see the results of the struggle; a new spirit of love, power and sound mindedness. 2 Timothy 1:7

People wouldn’t be able to excuse this “blessed” life as someone who is, “lucky”, “one of those fortunate types”, or “special”, because many souls of various walks of life would have similar results. They would know the Spirit of God was the common thread being woven throughout these people’s lives and it could be in their lives as well.

But the multitudes don’t seek God.

Why don’t people seek God?

Why don’t many of those who profess to love God not even spend this sacred time with Him each day?

The surface excuse is often not enough time, but the real reasons go much deeper.

Battle of Spirit and Flesh

The fundamental reason is God is Spirit and all you do in drawing near to Him involves the Spirit, and the Spirit and flesh are in opposition. Galatians 5:17 In this context, the Spirit is what is of God and the flesh is what is of mankind’s self-will. The flesh is the mind and it’s production of self-created value, idols, and philosophies in which humans trust and act. If your mind is sown in the will and truths of God, you are spirit-minded giving life to the spirit. If your mind is sown in will of mankind, his “wisdom” and philosophies, you are flesh-minded selling your soul to destruction.

Because this world is under the sway of the evil one who is ruler and instigator of the flesh mind, everything of this world (worldly systems, ideas, wisdom, etc) is of the flesh and counters the Spirit, particularly our seeking God in truth and spirit. 1 John 5:19 The flesh-mind is promoted and prevalent in every dimension of life. It governs, distracts, deceives, consumes, and thus owns most people’s souls.

Here is a sampling of the mindsets of the flesh-mind contrary to seeking God, ones I experienced prior to entering into God’s kingdom. Romans 8:5

• Our choices, path, decisions and methods are sufficient, so don’t need to really seek God’s truth or wisdom.
• Life with God would be less ______ (fill in the blank).
• We will suffer loss if we trust God.
• We are fine as we are, as we put following self-will above God.
• Unity with God is NOT what we truly desire, but for us to play god choosing what is good and right for our lives by our “wisdom”.
• The world’s ways offer deliverance, desirous fulfillment, and happiness, and God’s ways do not.

Most of these reasons for not drawing near to God we don’t admit, even to ourselves. I didn’t. When it came down to the reality of my day to day living, I clung to the flesh-mind because I embraced the lies, which kept me in the pit and in the self-created prison of my mind.

Matthew 16:25 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

The ability to overcome the flesh-mindset, which consumes this world thus our minds, came when enough truth entered my mind to bring an awareness of the depravity that consumed my life. Realizing the paths I’d chosen were not leading me to where I desired, even at a superficial level, I was motivated to seek God, truly, for the first time.

When a spark of truth shines into our souls and awakens us to the reality that what we’re doing isn’t working, when we feel we have suffered enough, exhausted other pathways, and are tired of running in circles after things that don’t fulfill, then we listen to the spirit’s prompting and make time to seek God. John 3:8 Though we still have much doubt, we venture to the realm of God’s truth by His grace.

Embarking on this journey is similar to a sick person getting healthy. When people’s health degenerates so that death is knocking at the door and a voice inside drives them to fight and not let death enter in, then they make a change. They could have chosen the path of health long before and enjoyed years of vitality, but didn’t. They let themselves physically deteriorate to the point of kissing death.

Many do this spiritually. We have to come to a precipice of wanting to give up our self-will, and be consumed by God’s. So, we deteriorate until our soul comes to a breaking point and something in us calls us to God, then we start seeking God as He instructs us. Matthew 6:33 It’s at this moment we are deeply blessed because our lives shift to a path that will bring spiritual life and thus what we have unknowingly deeply sought and desired.

Initially in seeking God persistence is required, even in the awareness of our depravity, as the flesh continues to war against the spirit. Here is where many give up, and the flesh wins. God is spirit and as we draw near, there will be a battle as we are dominated by the flesh. For those who persist, some days are better than others, but it’s a struggle to be consistent and persistent. Like getting physically healthy, each day you don’t see much improvement but over time as you persevere you reap the rewards. Matthew 7:14

In time, the powers shift in our soul and the flesh is subdued by the growing spirit of truth within. We come to know and drink of the fountain of life and cross a point of never turning back. Our sacred time with God each day becomes a delight and feast for our souls. We enjoy an everlasting and ever deepening intimacy that prepares our soul to become the temple of God. We become spiritual beings crafted in and by the Spirit of God.

I pray you are one of those souls. Matthew 13:23

Matthew 11:5 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Verses for Meditation

Ecc 2:26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Psalm 37:4-5 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Matthew 6:32-33 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.