encouraging words wednesday….{sanctuary}

there is a chair in our house – in our bedroom, actually. i was not fond of this chair. i thought it looked dated. it didn’t really match our ‘decor’. it’s not the most comfortable. but i left the chair alone, if only to occupy some blank space.

but things have changed. i use this chair everyday. this chair is where i spend my mornings.

with God.

some time back, i resolved to begin reading the bible. regularly. i’d heard so many people say what comfort and wisdom and joy they found in the word of the Lord.

“so faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ.”
~romans 10:17

well, i was a christian. i know that because i only listened to praise & worship or gospel music. i was attending church regularly. we prayed before each meal – even out in public! i was ‘raised in the church,’ after all, so of course i was a christian! i did all the things a ‘true christian’ should do. right?

but did i know the word of God? were his promises and words of guidance tattooed on my heart and on my lips within a moments notice in times of trouble?

no. they weren’t.

so i began my duty as a christian. slowly, my obligation became a habit. but now my habit is my desire.

“we must with unyielding purpose take time away with the Lord again and again. the very essence of our physical and spiritual well-being depends on our frequently breaking away and entering the compassionate presence of God. There, we can pour out from the depths of our souls our every feeling, anxiety, and need.”
~Anita Corrine Donihue

every morning, i take that time away with my Lord. i pray, i read my bible, i read my devotionals.

it brings peace to my soul.

order to my day.

regardless of the tasks before me, the troubles that come, i am grounded in God’s promises…

“the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
~deuteronomy 31:8

that chair is now my favorite piece of furniture. because that’s where i go to meet God, my sanctuary.

how do you spend your time with God?