March 3, 2026
Life is discipline. Preparation is the advantage we control. College prepares us for a career. Meditation and patience prepare us to give the best of ourselves to a job, a class and even parenthood. God is gracious and prepares us to understand discipline. He trains us through prayer, reading the Word and through following the path of Jesus. Of course we can ignore Him. We can choose not to prepare and we then live a Plan B lifestyle. Not the life God designed for us. When we choose to stay busy in the world, not setting aside a private and precious time with God, we miss the time He had planned for us to be together. We miss the peace He planned to pour into us; we miss the palpable touch of His love, and we miss the tender words He speaks that lead us to our destiny. The loss is great. Too great to miss.
We are trained to make excuses. Through school, home life, jobs and even recreation and sports, we find ways to rationalize our shortcomings and failures. From ‘the dog ate my homework’ to ‘the traffic made me miss the meeting,’ we live lives that are half-best at best. We don’t have time to read the Bible in a year. We do not have enough money to tithe. We can’t give time at church because we need more time with family. Since the Israelites took 40 years to cross the desert, God has had to listen to human excuses. We have to make time to read the Word every day. We must find time to spend with God because it is important to us.
Lord God, I am sorry for the excuses I make. I come to You now, asking forgiveness and promising I will spend more time reading the Word. God, help me ignore the thoughts that say I can’t spend time with You. Every hour with You is precious and rewarding. Your love covers me with the warmth of blankets. Your touch makes me remember I am precious to You and You took the time to prepare me for a life where I could learn to be more like Jesus. Thank you, God, that Your great love is bigger than my small opinion of myself.
God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. Colossians 1:25