Joy with God.

Have you ever wondered what stole your joy? Why is going to mass or church on Sunday morning a chore. What happened to the day that we all looked forward to going to the house of the Lord. Do you give God full attention on Sunday or do you wonder how long the sermon will be because you are so looking forward to lunch. Is there a moment that we are there with God, in His house and at that moment are we truly present in His Spirit or are we blocking God with all that we are right now.

What is hindering you from going into the fullness of God. What obstacles are in our way from really focusing on God and being in His presence. Some would say we that there is a flaw in ones character, that we are not worthy of God, but that too is a lie. We all are children of the loving heavenly Father, and we became worthy of Him the moment we accepted Christ into our lives, and became forgiven of all sins and wrongs that we have committed against God. The Father in heaven is a wonderous God, who forgives and forgets all those wrongs and sees you as a child of His that he loves dearly, We are able to go to the Father through the cross and the fact that Jesus was that perfect lamb. That love that he has for us is never ceasing but always flowing out to all of His children. We are worthy, and loved beyond what we can ever understand.

With that kind of love and forgiveness at hand, what prevents us from truly going to the Father? That is simple it is ourselves. We are the ones that feel that we are not able to commune with the heavenly Father, yet in reality He is there ready and waitng for you to take a seat at His table daily. He wants to talk to you about matters of the heart and your day, no matter how good or bad. He is there wanting to spend time with you to develop that deep friendship with you, there are no grudges or bad in your past, rather He sees you as a clean child of His because of Jesus! He is there and the joy of being with him. If we are open to Him we will be able to see and feel that joy and love of the Heavenly Father. So where did that joy go, it never left, we just decided not to part take of it. Open your eyes, and heart to the Lord and you will once again find that joy!

Will you follow?

A friend called and invites you out, you go willingly. They call back and say the car is full now, and could you drive and follow them there, but wonders if you could stop and pick up two other friends. You comply and arrange to pick them up in enough time and get to where you are going in time. Yet when a friend calls and says come follow me we go, we trust and know them and if our safey is not in danger we will follow them and hang out with them because we love and care for them as our friends.  We arrange lunches, outtings, shopping spress and all sorts of activities without thinking twice with those that we know. We lead and follow our friends, and never really give it any thought.

Yet, if the Lord were to show up on your doorstep tomorrow morning, and said "Come follow me". Would you go freely, and willingly, or would it be "Lord, not now there is laundry to finish, lunch to make, towels to fold etc." We may respond with "Lord, I am not worthy, and you don't want me to follow you with all that I have done". We feel like we are not able to follow us God, with all that we have done in the past, and who I am you don't want me to tag along, I am not holy enough. Or better yet, you reply I don't go to church, let alone pray or any of those things. It is then that God reaches out to you once again with His out streached arms and says, "My child, come and follow me I love and forgive you of all that you have done." What do you do? Do you go, or are you still questioning your worthiness, His love, His concern for you.

Yet, in the Bible the disciple that went off to follow Jesus, were not the top scollars in the class. They were the poor, the misfits of society. They were no way worthy of God, His love or His teachings. They were willing to leave all and say Yes Lord I will follow you. Now, I know what you are thinking, I am not leaving my life to wonder the earth to follow God! That is not what He want you to do, rather He want you to walk with Him daily. He knows you are busy and yet says come and follow me, walk with me, talk to me and be with me, I want to fellowship with you. We tend to be hesitant with God, yuet if a firend were to call we would go willing ly, and say sure come on over, or I will be there in 10 minutes.

God, wants us to walk and follow Him. He longs for a relationship with Him. One that is more then a Sunday morning service weekly, or monthly. He longs for that daily communication. He wants to be there for us on a daily basis. All he asks for us to take time daily to walk with Him, He knows you are busy that is why is isn't asking for your entire day, just a few minutes, 10 to 15 a day. God wants to be there for you, if you let Him, He has a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, love that will never end, and blood that will cleanse us of all our sin. He looks for you to take the time to pray or talk to God, and part of prayer is listening, being still in the presence of God and allowing Him to talk to you, comfort and love you. He wants you to spend a few minutes in His word reading. If you don't know where to start, then try the New Testament, or a devotion that will not only give you some scripture readings, also some insight into the word of God.

Take the time, pick up the cross and walk with God, it will be the best relationship you will ever have in your life.