by Marti Jones, former Coordinator of Spiritual Nurture and Spiritual Ambassadors for Florida Hospital Orlando
It is always difficult to put into words the thoughts of one’s heart. It is such a personal and unique way we each sense and feel, particularly when it comes to our relationship with our Creator. However, it is important to share what has been a blessing and of deep meaning in our own life. It is part of our personal testimony and, therefore, may be of benefit to someone.
I am, by nature, an outgoing person. I love other people, but as much as I enjoy company, I also love and appreciate my time alone. It is in these moments of solace that I really find out what is going on inside my being. I have discovered how important it is to my spiritual growth to share meaningful time with God. It has been during these special visits with Him that He reveals through scripture what my soul is in need of, and He always does it with loving care.
When I first committed to a devotional time, I decided to do so in the evening. I have always been more of a night owl than a morning person. However, I noticed that frequently the day brought varied challenges for which I had felt unprepared. Quite often, due to the many necessities or urgencies of life, I had postponed time with God until fatigue prevented me from enjoying His company.
Since I have made my first appointment of the day with Jesus, He provides, through prayer and study of His Word, the support I will need in my very busy schedule. He even wakes me up without the alarm clock, and when I awaken, it makes me smile to sense His desire to be with me.
My early morning visits that include listening to His Spirit have become vital to me. It is a time to express joy and wonder at His gift of life—to praise Him and thank Him for my family, to sing songs in my heart, and to proclaim praise to the Father, Jesus my Savior, and the Spirit of Comfort who is my peace. Now, when things get crazy, and they still do, the Word of God comes alive in me to impart deeper wisdom, greater patience, or persevering effort to meet difficult moments.
Most importantly is where this time with Jesus has brought me personally. I am in the process of learning true surrender—something that is very challenging to our humanity. He has impressed me that this is perhaps the most important work in which God calls us to participate. He is able to do great things through His people. He has promised the outpouring of His Spirit, the empowering of His church before His coming, but this is only possible if we allow Him to prepare our temple.
In my personal time of prayer and study, I now seek renewing of heart and mind day by day. It is less difficult for me when I remember to cultivate an active and living relationship with Jesus. The more I come to commune with him, the lighter my load. His Spirit has blessed my role as wife, mother, and Pila (that is what my grandkids call me).
Outside the window where I sit to visit with my God in the early morning is a lovely fountain. When I look out at the new day and see the water bubbling over the top of the fountain in the yard, I am reminded of the appointment Jesus kept with the woman of Samaria. To her, He offered the Water of Life, Himself, when He said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water…. Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” —John 4:10, 13–14 (NIV)
In the coming months, look for a how-to list of ways/experiences in which our readers have found special meaning to their devotional time. We invite you to share your thoughts. From them, we may select a sentence or two or, possibly, your story.