Matthew 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
At the beginning of the week I started a new project. I love new projects.
I emptied out the office where I am writing. I am turning it into a prayer room. A total makeover. I painted the entire room, hung new shelving and bought new furniture. I framed pictures from Israel and everything is looking fantastic. It is beautiful. I worked so hard all week to get it done as quickly as I could so I could get back to writing.
In fact, I worked so hard that I really didn't have much time for anything else. I found myself distracted during our Bible study this week; not really paying attention. Anxious to get to work so that I could get finished and enjoy my new space. After a couple of days I noticed that my prayers felt kind of flat and that when I would try to write it just felt forced so I would put it away thinking that I would pick it up later when the room was done. I attributed all this to being out of sorts since my place of quiet time with the Lord was under construction. I felt sure that when everything was back to normal that everything would be back to normal.
Yesterday the room was finished enough that I was able to move back into it. It looks great and I was so excited.
I sat down to write and....nothing. I read my Bible for a while; I prayed. Nothing. I thought, maybe I just need to worship, so I did. I wrote God a note about how awesome He is. I meditated on His goodness. I went to church today and, still, nothing from the Lord.
At the beginning of the week I started a new project. I love new projects.
I emptied out the office where I am writing. I am turning it into a prayer room. A total makeover. I painted the entire room, hung new shelving and bought new furniture. I framed pictures from Israel and everything is looking fantastic. It is beautiful. I worked so hard all week to get it done as quickly as I could so I could get back to writing.
In fact, I worked so hard that I really didn't have much time for anything else. I found myself distracted during our Bible study this week; not really paying attention. Anxious to get to work so that I could get finished and enjoy my new space. After a couple of days I noticed that my prayers felt kind of flat and that when I would try to write it just felt forced so I would put it away thinking that I would pick it up later when the room was done. I attributed all this to being out of sorts since my place of quiet time with the Lord was under construction. I felt sure that when everything was back to normal that everything would be back to normal.
Yesterday the room was finished enough that I was able to move back into it. It looks great and I was so excited.
I sat down to write and....nothing. I read my Bible for a while; I prayed. Nothing. I thought, maybe I just need to worship, so I did. I wrote God a note about how awesome He is. I meditated on His goodness. I went to church today and, still, nothing from the Lord.
Until I read these verses. Scribes. Pharisees. Hypocrites. This can't be for me, can it? Lord I love you. I read, I pray, I worship. Not me, Lord.
And so He speaks....The writing was a gift Connie. A gift for my beloved one who was content to sit and listen. Who wanted ME. First. Foremost and above all. Do you still? Did I ask for a new prayer room? Did you even notice that I had gone as you breezed by Me every day? How long did it take for you to realize My absence? Two days? Three?
Oh Father. I am so sorry. And so foolish. How could I prepare a room for You while ignoring my relationship with You? You dwell in my heart, in my soul. Not in a room made with hands.
The prayer room is beautiful. And God desires good things for His children. Nothing wrong with that. But my heart was in the wrong place. My relationship with Him is above all things. It has to be my priority. Hearing from Him has to be my greatest desire. He is my portion. He is my prize. Not a room, a relationship.
I am writing again, obviously, but only after the Lord confronted me with these verses. And I agreed with Him. My cup looked pretty on the outside but the insides were full of greed and self-indulgence.
And so He speaks....The writing was a gift Connie. A gift for my beloved one who was content to sit and listen. Who wanted ME. First. Foremost and above all. Do you still? Did I ask for a new prayer room? Did you even notice that I had gone as you breezed by Me every day? How long did it take for you to realize My absence? Two days? Three?
Oh Father. I am so sorry. And so foolish. How could I prepare a room for You while ignoring my relationship with You? You dwell in my heart, in my soul. Not in a room made with hands.
The prayer room is beautiful. And God desires good things for His children. Nothing wrong with that. But my heart was in the wrong place. My relationship with Him is above all things. It has to be my priority. Hearing from Him has to be my greatest desire. He is my portion. He is my prize. Not a room, a relationship.
I am writing again, obviously, but only after the Lord confronted me with these verses. And I agreed with Him. My cup looked pretty on the outside but the insides were full of greed and self-indulgence.
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