Quality time

The older I get, the more I realize my parents are really cool.

I remember when they use to give me the most amazing, unforgettable advice and I would blow it off like they had know clue what they were talking about. But the older and more mature I have grown, the more my love and knowledge about them grows. It's a strange feeling, but so comfortable and so peaceful.

It's almost a lot like that with Christ. I can remember being in youth and even younger and thinking I knew just what Christ was doing in my life but it didn't have that much of an affect on me. The older and more wise I become in Christ, the more I truly and deeply know how much Christ means to me and how much I mean to Him. The beautiful thing about it all, is it will continue to grow, forever. Twenty years from now, I will look back and have even more knowledge about how beautiful and magnificent Christ is.

I realize more and more how important it is to spend quality time with Christ. I use to just imagine it as maybe saying a simple thank you every now and then or maybe confessing one little white lie sin, but nothing more than that. My heart yearns for Jesus now. I crave to have a conversation with Him. But lately, things have been really tough on me. I feel as if I am just worn out. Sometimes my mouth and brain can't even function enough to speak to my Father. I felt as if even reading Gods word was not giving me the right kind of satisfaction I needed. I tried dealing with it for a couple of weeks until I just couldn't handle it anymore. I broke down and cried. I needed strength from my Father, but I felt as if I was too weak to even try and ask for it. Through this pain, I realized that is when the Spirit works for us. My dad sent this to me the other day, (which in turn proves what I was saying about just how cool my parents really are):

"Gods Spirit knows that we need strength when times are difficult. That's when the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. There are times when we do not know how to pray—when sorrow or helplessness overwhelms us to the point that words are impossible to speak, even to Jesus. All we can do is cry to Him. Thankfully, the Spirit will plead on our behalf—He understands the depth of our thoughts, feelings, and needs, and He translates them into effective supplication according to God’s will."

Knowing the Holy Spirit works on our behalf, when we can't, gave me hope. I had a sigh of relief when this thought came into my head. Am I still feeling in a funk? Sure, but that's life. Sometimes we go through hardships and nasty dry spells with our faith, but at least, for the time being, we can grasp onto the fact that God is never going to fail us. We may not know exactly why this is happening or even what is going to happen, but we do know we have hope in Jesus' powerful name. My devotional couldn't have said it better, soak it in:

"I am all around you, hovering over you even as you seek My Face. I am nearer than you dare believe, closer than the air you breathe. If My children could only recognize My Presence, they would never feel lonely again. I know every thought before you think it, every word before you speak it. My Presence impinges on your innermost being. Be blessed by my intimate nearness. Since I live in you, let Me also live through you, shining My Light into the darkness."