Spring: Connecting with God

My father is getting older. Because he can not come and see me, I am trying to visit him on a more regular basis. The drive to Knoxville where he lives is four hours long. There is a lot of time to think as I travel in the car. During the spring, a couple years ago, I was thinking about how to publish "A Passover Hagaddah in the Christian Tradition". As I drove and thought, another outline came into my mind, or, was given to me, which is how "Spring: Connecting with God" came to be written.

The Lord impressed on me how important our relationship is with Him. Often we live our busy lives without realizing how present and approachable God is to us. It is God's desire that we recognize His presence and include Him in our conversations and our lives. God desires that we give thanks for the good things of life (like the new leaves coming out in the spring), and that we ask for His wisdom in every decision. God desires that we live close to Him.

All too often people live their lives without recognition of God’s presence. Throughout the day God lays out things for us to notice. It could be a beautiful sunrise or sunset (they are different every day). It could be a rainbow (which is a promise from God for which to give thanks). It could be a formation of geese, leaves on the trees, flowers or some small animal that is sitting by the side of the road. It could be the view as we cross the mountains or plains. But God places things in our path to notice.

Our daily plan can be so full that we miss the things God sets out for us. Daily we set our agenda, often without including the Lord in our plans or in our lives. We go about our business furiously in order to get everything accomplish. We pass by the things that God has placed in our path. When the Lord orchestrates a chance meeting, or makes an activity easier we fail to see His hand in it, and we do not take time to give thanks or to pray.

Sometimes even our Bible Study and Prayer time become routine. God does not want this. He wants our communion with Him to be vibrant and alive. In Genesis 3:8 we learn that God walked with Adam in the cool of the day. This was not a one time event meant to bring fear in Adam’s life. These were daily walks with the Creator where God could show His love for man, and where man could share His love for God, talking about anything and everything. God desires a two way relationship with each of us. ...more about this next blog ...