My brother and I loved visiting rivers like this one. He would ask, “When’s your next day off?” He made plans for us to have a great day. Sometimes it seemed like we did the same thing each day, but one of the many things I loved about my brother is how each time we did the same thing, he loved it and seemed to be so excited – like it was the very first time we were doing that thing.
He would tell me about the river the entire ride to the location. He would put the boats in and be excited to push me off into the river. As we traveled down the river, he always remarked how serene and beautiful it was. He really loved the time spent with nature on a river or doing whatever else we had decided to do that day.
I think God wants us to come with the joy that is ours about knowing Him and coming to Him in prayer and spending time in His Word – like it is all brand-new to us. Sometimes that is not as easy as I wish. I get tired sometimes and when I read His Word, I sometimes say, “yes, I have read that section a million times it seems,’ and I sometimes gloss over the parts I am familiar with. Not happy that I do that. I have been in prayer for a spirit that cherishes every word in the Word of God no matter how many times I have read about John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. I pray for the awe I felt the first time I ever read the words that touched my heart deeply and every word.
The Word of God challenges me to always remember to not treat the holy things of God as if they are not holy, but common or mundane. Leviticus 22.32-33 tells me, “You must not treat Me as common and ordinary. Revere Me and hallow Me, for I, the Lord, made you holy to Myself and rescued you from Egypt to be My own people! I am Jehovah!”
“…beware that you do not treat the holy gifts … as though they were common…” Numbers 18.32.
I pray daily to reverence God and the things of God each and every day and remember God is Holy and has called me to revere Him. I want to treat Communion, His Word, Prayer, Worship, Church, sharing my faith and all the things of God with excitement and joy. I want to tell the Lord He is ‘new every morning’ like His love and mercy for me. (Lamentations 3.22-23)
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