Getting Started (Joe Widick)

Tonight, Joe Widick speaks on a topic many struggle with! Thanks in advance for your prayers for me in Vietnam!

I guess we have often heard that half the battle is simply getting started. I want to lose weight—at some point I need to say “no” to that desert. I am going to exercise more—at some point I need to lace up my tennis shoes and go for a walk.

Back in April my contract with my cell phone was up and I took the opportunity to get an upgrade. My cell phone has many options, most of which are designed to keep me connected. My cell phone is so smart that it gets emails! Wow!! Unfortunately the emails do not always come between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm. They come at all hours. Guess what my phone lets me know when I received an email at 1:00 pm or 1:00 am, it didn’t matter it thinks I need to know. Finally I discovered an option where I only get phone calls during the night time hours. It was great to be able to get a full night of sleep without that cell phone going off at all hours of the night. The word connected captures our contemporary experience of life. Many people rarely go anywhere without a cell phone, iPod, laptop etc. We have become accessible 24 hours a day. Some psychologist see this craving to stay connected as an addiction. Yet a growing number of people are deliberately limiting their use of technology. Being a “tech-NO” is their way of preserving times of quiet, while limiting the flow of information into their lives.

Many followers of Christ find that a daily time of Bible reading and prayer is essential in their walk of faith. This “quiet time” is a disconnection from external distractions in order to connect with God. The “green pastures” and “still waters” of Psalm 23:2 are more than an idyllic country scene. They speak of our communion with God whereby He restores our souls and leads us in His paths.

All of us can make time to meet with God, but do we? In a little booklet by Robert Foster entitled “Seven Minutes with God,” he suggests a way to begin: Start with a brief prayer for guidance, then read the Bible for a few minutes, and close with a short time of prayer that includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication for others. It’s vital to take time today to connect with the Lord, who is our life. We will all agree that time spent with God is time well spent. Why not make it a goal to “get started” today?

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com