Connect with God

I've found that usually when I get an idea for a habit and try to start it things will go great for a while, but eventually it stops. They say you have to repeat something X times (21 days?) before it becomes an official habit. I'm not sure what that means. I guess just that you've officially developed a tendency or familiarity with doing it. I think some things always take self-discipline to make yourself do though, habit or not. One habit I am hoping to develop is to write on this blog every day if I can. It seems to me that it helps when I express myself for me to think about things. I've noticed sometimes when I tell people things I really just want to tell myself, but hearing myself tell someone else makes the ideas sink in better for me. Another habit I've tried to acquire, but has proven difficult is to read the Bible every day. I don't want to just read the words though, I want them to read me. I want to meditate on each verse and hear what God wants to say. (The Word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword.) God is always communicating in different ways if we keep our eyes, ears and hearts open. Praying continually is what Paul says we should do. This is a constant conscious awareness of your communion with God through the Spirit. Sometimes when I try to focus on this I get a feeling that kicks back saying, "but wait, you can't be close to God... you're sinful... and dirty." I don't think it is wise to ever even remotely take the seriousness of sin lightly, but I know God never ever ever wants sin to be the reason for my separation from Him
ever again. Because when Christ died on the cross the temple curtain tore! Praise God! This symbolized that I don't have to be separated from Him ever again because of sin. "But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (2 Cor. 3:16)

Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:15-18)

Our enemy is sly and he assaults in subtle ways. His main goal for any human is one thing... disconnect from God. If we are separated we are cut off from strength, power, joy and life. Cut off from every good thing. It's important for it to sink in that God's acceptance of us has nothing to do with how much or little we have sinned, but rather it has everything to do with the condition of our heart. "Anyone who comes to me I will never turn away." "Seek him and you will find him, if you seek him with all your heart." "Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." "Their lips praise me, but their hearts are far from me."

Sometimes I feel distant from God even when I understand these things. In my life, I find that I think a lot about the power of my focus and the value of my attention... which is priceless. Sometimes I wonder about how I can hear from God without constantly looking at His Word. It's true His Word is vital and an awesome way that He uses to communicate with us, however the whole world is His. I think that when I'm on a walk and a leaf happens to fall to the ground in front of me... God dropped that leaf and was in control of my exposure to it. Every thing I see or hear can be a tool for God to communicate something to me if I keep my mind and heart open. I love God and want to commune with Him constantly. I want to know who I am and claim authority over deception. I believe that their are many things in life I don't understand. Their are many things about God I don't understand. But, I also have faith that He created me in my vast complexity and the universe and that he orchestrated the heavens and the laws that govern them. And, the most important things that I have faith in about God are that
He loves me, He is able to accomplish anything He wants, and that He is faithful.

Our God, is an awesome God, he reigns from Heaven above, With wisdom power and love our God is an awesome God. He is faithful... and He will rule, so bow before Him, and praise His name.... Our God is an awesome God.

I've also realized it's important to praise God. Just to sing verses to a praise song in your head from time to time not even out loud, help to focus your mind and tap into the communion or the "connect" with God that fuels our strength and joy in Him.