via TJC
“The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.” Nahum 1:3 (NIV)
Most of us would concur that life is a vapor…, and then sh*t happens, & really fast!
There are many things that compete for our time; Spouses, family, work, friends, extracurricular …and oh yeah don’t forget about Jesus. (BTW my wife's love language is TIME!)
My own life had gotten busy doing “this and that“ to the point my calendar looked pretty full. From time-to-time I would complain about how “busy” I was until a dear brother corrected me and told me I must say … my calendar is challenged. On top of that challenge, a few months ago I accepted a new temporary job.
Just a few days ago my son walked up to me and asked when my new job was going to be “over”. My son was feeling squeezed out of my “schedule” and had let me know.
For me it was like a “frog in the pot” moment in that I had let my schedule slowly crowd out what was most important to me. I realized that I had let many secular activities squeeze out the more important “God-given missions“ in my life. I had become oblivious to being managed by circumstances and had let ruts go unnoticed and unchanged.
It also drove home that though the Lord may be slow to anger, I must not try His patience with me.
Our time that God has given us is precious and what we do with it is exceedingly important, especially to Him.
What waters are you swimming in that you have become used to? Do you know which forest you are immersed in when surrounded by so many trees? Which actions can be set aside to make your schedule less challenged?
Daily Battle Order:
Examine how you spent the last 24 hours. What was it filled with? Were you trying God’s patience? How much earthly dross can be burned away so that what is left will shine through eternity?
A theme for this year on the Battlefield with TJC is Deep Change. Come join TJC and learn more about Deep Change for you at: https://www.joshuacommission.org/event-details/gettysburg-battlefield-operation-2023