I’ve been doing some taste testing recently of meal replacement shakes. It is pretty incredible the way they can pack so much nutritional value in one drink. It can contain all the vitamins, minerals, and substances your body needs for maintaining good health and providing digestive balance. The company suggests you drink a shake for breakfast and that it helps your metabolism and can even increase your energy as the day wears on.
And although I haven’t yet figured out if all their selling points are true, what these shakes made me think about was my quiet time. For me, that time spent with the Lord first thing in the morning is what I need for each new day. Just like good nutrition, this time is a necessity for me. While reading His word, I gain His wisdom and His understanding. He gently reminds me of areas I need to work on, He adjusts my priorities, and He replenishes my soul. Time spent in prayer allows me to share my concerns, my worries, my doubts. It gives me a chance to express my gratitude and thanksgiving for His abundant grace and blessings. It offers the opportunity to ask for forgiveness and mercy. It helps me recognize the balance that my Savior brings to my life.
When we carve out a few minutes for that soul nutrition time with our Lord, it is amazing how armed we become to face each day not on our own but with His presence by our side. His agenda, His path becomes ours. We begin to look at interruptions as God given opportunities. The people we come in contact with, we begin to see through His eyes rather than our own. And when the stresses and chaos of the day begin to set in, we can rely on the strength of our Lord to carry us through.
But just as we have to be intentional in choosing good nutrition, we also have to make a commitment to spend time with the Lord each day. There are so many other things that can fill up our time if we aren’t careful. I think Satan’s greatest strategy is to keep us so distracted that we no longer hear the Lord’s call in our lives. Find a time that works best for your quiet time with Christ and stick to the plan. You might even consider adding it to your calendar as a divine appointment.
My prayer is that we make our quiet time a priority. That we recognize the importance this special time each day can make in our lives. That we pick up our Bibles and dig into the truths that can help guide us and allow our lives to be transformed for His glory. And that our prayers would become the most meaningful conversations we have each day.
That time spent with Christ will be much sweeter than any shake could ever be!
