Reading God’s word is like a treasure hunt. There are so many priceless words of encouragement, instruction, and guidance. The problem is that most of us read the Bible like it is homework that we have to get done. Our eyes glaze over and somehow we have read to the end of the page and can't remember what we just read. 

I have this picture in my head of how my devotional and prayer time should go. It looks something like this. I grab a cup of coffee, my bible, journal, and maybe a devotional book to a cozy isolated spot. Then I spend an hour giving God my undivided attention.

I can assure you that the reality of my time with God is not nearly so perfect. Although the reality is not usually my ideal, I still need those times of refreshing in my days; times when I do my best to set aside the distractions of a busy life and focus on God. With three small children that is not an easy task, but it is essential. Many days there will be a little one knocking on the bedroom door crying for Mommy just as I pick up my Bible. Other times I will reach the end of the day and crawl exhausted into my bed, and remind myself that I need to read my Bible. Let me tell you, writing these devotions every day has been a huge help and source of accountability for me. 



Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart...

God’s word is powerful! It is not a dusty old book of ancient sayings. It has the power to penetrate to your soul and judge your thoughts and attitudes.  Your attitude can be the difference between a rewarding and full relationship with Christ or a boring and unproductive one. The level of excitement and anticipation with which you approach God will determine what you get out of your spiritual walk? I have learned that the times in my life where I approached my walk with God without joy and expectation, I gain very little. I read the Bible because I know I should. Even though my eyes see the words, my mind is not engaged, I am not active, and my heart is not in it. The Bible is God’s love letter to you and to me. He wants to show us how much he loves us, and how we can best live our lives so that they will be rich and full. God wants you to enjoy spending time in his presence, and to look forward to learning and growing in knowledge and your walk with Him. He wants you to long for him, to love Him above everything else in your life. It’s your choice.

When I was in school there were certain books that I had to read for my classes, although I love reading I dreaded these books because they were required, and therefore I assumed they would be boring. I skimmed through and read enough to get the idea and write the book report, but I did not enjoy them. That was my own fault, some of those books were great, and I missed out on the joy I could have taken in reading them. There have been days spent with my children that I have missed out on the joy and excitement that I could have experienced because I was thinking about something else that I needed to get done.

So often we rush through the most important things so that we can get to the trivial things! Don’t miss out on the joy of getting to know God.  
 
Philippians 3:8-9 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.

It doesn't matter what you have accomplished, what your resume or portfolio shows, your past, your stuff, or anything else. Compared to knowing Christ it's all worthless. Don't waste your time and energy on worthless things. 

Psalm 73:1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure.
2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else....
12 Look at these wicked people--enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.
13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
14 I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain...
17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors.
20 When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.
21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant-  I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?  I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
27 Those who desert him will perish,  for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!  I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Have you ever felt that way? Sometimes it seems like the people who are doing it all wrong are getting all the benefits, they prosper despite their wickedness, while I, who am trying to do everything  right, am left in the dust. I need to remember that their destiny is far different from mine, they are headed for destruction while I have been promised a glorious destiny- a place in Heaven. 
Bitterness can enter into our lives because of envy, anger, hurt, feeling unappreciated or overworked. It sneaks in and can remain unnoticed until it has grown in deep. 

Hebrews 12:14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.  

Think about the kind of damage a root is capable of. They can tear up concrete and break through foundations. My Grandma lives in an older neighborhood that has sidewalks lining the streets. Along them there are lots of trees that have grown up over the years and their roots have grown large and broken up the sidewalks making them uneven and cracked. When I was a little girl I would roller-skate down those sidewalks and I don’t know how many times I tripped over one of those big cracks made by those tree roots and skinned my knees. My favorite places were the sections that had been resurfaced, because they were smooth and even. God can remove the cracks and the torn up or ruined places in your life. He can make you new and whole.  The longer you hold on to bitterness, the more damage it will do. Fight bitterness with thankfulness. Its hard to be bitter and thankful at the same time. Thank God that we can rely totally on Him for strength, support, shelter, and love. We don't need to look for our value or worth in the approval of others, we are loved by our Father God. Read through the list below and just take a moment to be thankful for what we have in Christ. No matter what our situation, we can always find something to be thankful for. 

I am so thankful for God's grace. It is the gift of His favor in our lives even when we don't deserve it. I don't know about you, but sometimes I mess up- ok, lets face it, I mess up a lot! - There are people who love to point out every fault, make a big deal of them, and remember them and remind you of them FOREVER. I hate to admit that sometimes I am that person. There are times when my children need grace and I give them a harsh word or a lecture. There are times my husband needs grace and instead I throw up my defenses and fight to prove my point.  God does not do that. He knows our faults, but he loves us anyway. He sees our sins, but He forgives us every time. Don't miss out on God's grace and forgiveness. Allow Him to forgive you and give you grace and in turn be sure to offer grace and forgiveness to others. 

Luke 6:37 Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

Colossians 3:13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.


Yikes, those words can be rough to take in. Forgiving others isn't a suggestion, it is a command.  
Forgiveness begins in your heart and it is ultimately about your relationship with God. Whether or not the other person accepts your forgiveness is irrelevant- that is between them and God. You can’t change anyone else or force them to accept the peace and grace that God offers, but you can take it for yourself and move on with your life.

I love this song Your Grace Still Amazes Me by Phillips Craig and Dean. If you have a minute, sit and listen to this and spend some time praising the Lord for His amazing grace. 

Isaiah 43:16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters making a dry path through the sea. 17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick. 

If you know the story of Moses and the Israelites then you will remember this scene. (If not, you can read about it in Exodus 14.) The armies of Egypt were on their heels. I’m sure the people of Israel were terrified. In that moment they couldn’t see God’s plan. They only saw their situation, and it looked hopeless. They could have tried to stop and come up with a plan in their own power. Luckily Moses put his faith in God and God, as always, had a plan. He had not left them. Those where His people, whom He loved, He was not about to let them be defeated by the enemy, or drowned in the river. God delivered his people out of Egypt by parting the Red Sea- allowing them to pass, then crushing the army of Egypt in those same waters. 
Looking back at these stories in the Bible we can see the ending and know that God provided. It is a lot harder in our own lives because we can't see the ending. Try to see your situation from God's perspective.
Think of the things that God has done in your life, and the things that he has delivered you from. They may not be as dramatic as parting seas, or crushing your enemies. Sometimes he prevents us from doing things the way WE want to, so that He can fulfill HIS plan for us. You may think, “God why?! Why are you doing this to me?” It can be hard, sometimes impossible to see God’s handiwork when we are in the midst of the circumstance. His plan doesn’t always make sense at the time, but if you follow Him, you will see that where He is taking you is far better then your own way. God has protected you and saved you in times when you didn’t even realize you needed it. Maybe your trial is right now and you don’t see God anywhere, and you don’t know how you can make it through. Remember, you are His and He has a plan.

Just imagine the same story of Moses and the Israelites, with the whole army of Egypt at their heels. What if they had said, we don’t need God right now. We can figure this out. We will just build a bridge, or stand a fight. There are so many times that God has made a way, he was parted the seas of our circumstance, but we are so busy trying to build a bridge that we don’t even see that he has already made a way. Stop trying to figure it out, and just turn to Him.

18 “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed.

That’s so exciting! He said that what he has done in the past is nothing compared to what is coming next. God has already begun to work in your life, to prepare the way for you. You may not be able to see how you can ever get out of the wilderness you are going through. Don’t underestimate what God can do in and through you. There are so many things that we miss out on because we don’t think that they can really happen. We say to ourselves “That would be awesome if I could do that, but there is just no way.” Our faith is so small. God is doing something new in you right now- don’t stop Him! The way may seem impossible, but he will make sure that you will not only get through, but you will also be refreshed. The times when you are struggling and you don’t feel like you can get up in the morning or take another step- those are the dry wastelands of your life. That is where God creates rivers to refresh you.

 

Isaiah 43:1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. (Ashley), the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Now there is a promise you can count on! It doesn’t say “if” you go through deep waters or difficulty, it says “when.” There are a few things you can count on in this world and two of them are- trouble will come, and God will provide. These verses show us that God will never let us down. We don’t need to fear anything because He will protect us! I love the part that says “I have called you by name, you are mine” That one little phrase says so much. When my husband and I were engaged and newly married we would often say that to each other. “You are mine, all mine” Just like the little valentine heart candies “be mine.” Its silly, I know, but those little words told me that I belonged, I was desired, loved, and protected. 
There are many times in my life when I do not feel like I belong or fit in. I tend to be very awkward in social situations and I'm very insecure about a lot of things. Growing up with the name Ashley made me kind of numb to my own name. I would hear my name being called all over the place; at the mall,  at school, at church. It seemed like some little girl named Ashley was always being called. Since I was not usually the most popular Ashley around I found that I was generally not the Ashley who was being called. I remember so many times turning to look when my name was called and then the little feeling of let down- discouragement- when I realized that no one was actually talking to me, they were talking to someone else. I felt invisible. 
I'm so glad it is not that way with God. God saying those words tells me that I am loved unfailingly, desired jealously, protected continually, and welcomed and included in His family. I get a sense of safety, acceptance and love. I don't know  about you, but I long for acceptance. I just want someone to love me for me and to really get me. That is a desire placed in our hearts by God and it can only be filled by God.  God is not speaking in general terms when he says the word you; He means you and me. He calls each of us by name; he loves YOU personally and will be with YOU when you go through difficulty and oppression. All the times when you feel like you are alone,  you think God has abandoned you, or that he doesn’t care about what happens in your life- those are the times when you have tired to “fix” things your own way without relying on him. He is not gone, he is just waiting for you to turn and lean on him. Quite often we don’t understand the way he works. We don’t understand what He is doing, but He hasn’t left us alone. 


 





 

Luke 7:11-17 Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman’s only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke.(His heart overflowed with compassion[NLT]) He said to her, “Don’t cry.” Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you: Get up.” The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother. They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, “God is back, looking to the needs of his people!” The news of Jesus spread all through the country.  

The amazing thing about God’s word is that it speaks to me in a different way each time I open it. I have read this passage many times and each time I have focused on the miracle that Jesus performs. He raises a man from the dead! It is so easy to read a story like this and see it as just that, a story. Don’t let yourself forget that the events we read throughout the Bible are true stories. Allow yourself to be amazed at what Jesus did. This happened, just as real as if it were on the news today. This amazingly demonstrates Jesus power over everything, including life and death. This last time I read it, however, I noticed something else. I noticed this verse that tells us Jesus heart broke for this woman. Here he was, walking through a small village with his disciples and saw a woman who had just lost her only son. She was broken hearted. We read that she was a widow, so now she has lost her husband and her only son. Jesus sees her, and his heart goes out to her; his heart broke and he was full of compassion for her. This woman did not ask for Jesus help, she did not throw herself at his feet and beg for him to raise her son from the dead. But Jesus, with his heart of compassion, says to her “Don’t cry.” Then he gives her son back to her! I wish I had been there to see the joy and amazement on her face! What a comfort it is to know that in the times when we are so overcome with sorrow and pain that our Savoir cares. He lovingly comforts us and takes care of us. He provides of our needs even when we don’t have the strength to voice them. Jesus sees you.

He says to you and me: “Don’t cry!”

There are times when we go through difficulties and we cry out to God. Then, other times when all we need to do is be silent and rely on God to provide. He is always there for you. I can’t tell you how great a comfort that was to me. I hope it will be to you also.

We see so much grief in this world. Although we cannot bring the dead to life, we can show compassion to others. We can be so busy and get so caught up in our own lives, that we don’t even see the hurt in others. To some people, compassion comes naturally. That is not the case for me. I tend to be wrapped up in my own little world. I mean well, but I often miss the details and don't notice the hurt in others. I'm the kind of mom who hears her kids crying and says "Just get back up, you will be fine!"  For me, compassion needs to be cultivated and deliberately worked on.  
Take time this week to really see the people around you. Find out what is going on in their lives. Pray for them- and I don’t mean use the “I’ll pray for you” line. Actually stop what you are doing and pray with them! Cry with someone, or see if you can make them laugh. Try to “alleviate the suffering” of someone, even if you are suffering yourself. 


Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Jesus’ heart is filled with compassion for you, and in your times of greatest need, sorrow, and pain He reaches out and calls out your name saying "Don’t Cry.”

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

John 14:13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

1 John 3:22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. 

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. 

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you

We are in the age of instant communication. Most of us don’t go a full 10 minutes without communicating with someone. Whether it is face-to-face, e-mail, phone call, text message, or social media we are constantly talking to people. God wants you to do the same with him; to treat him as a friend, and as a part of your life. Prayer can seem very intimidating, but it's not. Prayer is all about building a relationship with the Lord. If you don’t talk to him, you will never get to know Him. The Bible tells us to pray all the time- pray without ceasing. What is that all about?  When you spend time with your friends, you may not always be talking, sometimes you are listening, and sometimes you are just quietly enjoying their company. Sometimes we need to speak, sometimes listen, and sometimes we just need to be still in God’s presence and enjoy his company. In his book, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby says,

 When you pray, do you expect God to actually answer you? Sometimes we treat God like He is Santa Clause. We make our wish lists and present them to Him, then go about our day. We may stop when we hit a rough patch and ask for His help, or say a prayer over our food at meal times. But then we go about trying to solve our problems and fix things. How often do you pray, then stop and listen and look for God's answer? We wonder why we never hear from God and we never seem to get any answers to our prayers. First, you have to develop a relationship and learn to know God's character, and His voice. He speaks to us through His Word, circumstances, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we develop our relationship with the Lord and we love Him with all our hearts and minds, then we begin to move our lives into His will. Our prayers change from "God what can you do for me" to "God, what do I need to be doing to join you."  

James 4:2-3 Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.


There is no formula, no specific words that need to be said or a special position. It is the state of your heart that matters to God. Are you talking to Him out of a selfish desire to get your own way, or are you talking to Him because you love Him and want His will to be done in your life?

My prayers often take the form of singing our journaling. When I come to a Bible passage that stands out I write it down, when I have needs, hurts, or worries I write them down. I write song lyrics and the things that are on my heart. During the day I try to always have my conversation with God going on in the back of my mind. The line is always open, I want to be ready to hear from Him at all times. It doesn't matter how you pray, just start. For some great inspiration, check out the book of Psalms. It is an entire book of songs and prayers covering practically every topic. 




 

Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know EVERYTHING about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.




5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous— how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

There was a time in my life when the thought of God seeing everything I did was very embarrassing and intimidating. There are a lot of things I wish God couldn’t see. As I read this passage now, I see so much more then that. I see that God is watching me with love, his thoughts about me are precious. He loves me so much that he would actually pay attention to the small details of my life! God loves you and is concerned for each moment of your life. You’d think he’d be to busy to notice when I get out of bed in the morning, but He does. He is walking before you to lead you and prepare the way for you, and he follows you to protect you because he loves you that much. He longs to bless you. There is nowhere that we can go to hide from God. Verse 12 says that even the darkness cannot hide us from God. It’s pointless to try to hide our sins from him. I have spoken with people who have said that they are embarrassed to ask God to forgive them because they don’t feel like they can talk to God about their sin. They don’t want to admit their sins to Him. Know this, God loves you, and He already knows all your faults. He is waiting to forgive them. Jesus already paid the penalty for you. You need to be willing to lay your life before him and allow him to show you anything in you that He doesn’t like. The sin in our lives is offensive to God, but only He can take it away.

I used this psalm as a prayer guide and asked the Lord to search my heart and reveal to me the sins in my life that I was unaware of. Let me tell you, this is not a prayer to be made lightly! God took my offer and in the course if a week he pointed out and showed me examples of several areas in my life where I hadn’t even realized I was struggling (and I’m sure he’s not done yet). I hadn’t realized these things were holding me back from real growth and fellowship with Christ. God showed me all these things through several experiences. The first was a Bible study I went to at church. I really wanted to grow spiritually, and also meet new Christian women. I was hoping for deep conversation that would help me learn new things about God and the Bible. When I saw that the topic was memorizing and meditating on Scripture I did an instant mental eye roll. You know what I mean? The sigh that says “here we go again.” I thought, “I already know this, I’ve been memorizing scripture all my life, this isn’t what I need right now.” I listened and put my two cents in, I heard what they said about dwelling on Gods word instead of allowing your mind to dwell and meditate on what so and so said or did to make you mad. - I heard it all, but my pride didn’t allow me to really listen. In the end I walked away disappointed. 
It wasn’t until the next evening when I was at home, and my three kids were all pestering me for something at the same time, my husband was sitting at his computer -not helping. My mind was bitter, I was thinking “why isn’t he helping, can’t he hear what is going on?!” Now, did I ask for his help?- No, and I’m sure he was busy doing something equally if not more important. But I was allowing myself to meditate on thoughts of anger and complaining. Suddenly it all hit me, I realized that that Bible study that I thought had been beneath me was, in fact, exactly what I had needed to hear and put into practice. I stopped to think about how often my mind and spirit were complaining and dissatisfied or resentful; I was surprised at how often it really was. It was a very humbling experience! At that point I thanked God for that Bible study, and opened my heart and really listened to what God had to tell me about my faults. Here is a short list of things that God showed me about myself...yikes!

This weekend we watched "Left Behind" at our church. It was a good movie,  I never read the books so in all fairness I cannot really give it a worthy review. It did seem like there was probably a lot of stuff left out. It was very intense and it really got me thinking. While I am not about to get into end times theology with you, there is one thing I do know; we should live each day like it is our last. Whether the Lord comes or we die in a freak accident we do not know what the future holds. I want to live my life with no regrets. I want to take every opportunity to share the good news with someone, because that may be their last chance to hear it. I want to take every opportunity I have with my children and my husband to treat them with love and speak grace into their lives, because each moment with them may be my last.

Matthew 24:42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

Now, I do not believe that Jesus was asking us to live in constant fear and panic, or worry our lives away.

Matthew 6:25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.


 No, worry and fear are not what God intended for our lives. I am suggesting that we stop taking for granted the precious moments that we have been given. Stop putting off God's calling on our lives and be good stewards of our time, energy, and resources.  Focus on things that will last for eternity. We were created to be eternal beings. This life on earth is just a fleeting moment compared to eternity. Just a few verses up in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us to store up our treasures in Heaven. 

Matthew 6:19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.


The world says, " live like there is no tomorrow," meaning, live as if there are no consequences- do what feels good, have fun. The Lord's version is much different. Live each moment with joy, taking advantage of each moment you have been given, but in the light of what those moments will mean for eternity. Where are you storing up your treasures? Is your life focused on what you can accomplish and accumulate in this life, or what you can store up for eternity? What is eternal? People, salvation, the Kingdom of God. You will never meet a person who at the end of life regrets that they spent to much time focusing on these things. Everything else is fleeting.  

The song Good to Be Alive by Jason Gray says it so well:
I wanna live like there's no tomorrow
Love like I'm on borrowed time
It's good to be, it's good to be alive

I won't take it for granted
I won't waste another second
All I want is to give you
A life well lived, to say "thank you"

We are masters of excuses. We can make excuses good enough to fool even ourselves! There are so many things in our lives that we will miss out on because of those excuses. If we allow them to control us we can become stuck. They hold us back from being complete. Excuses are not new, the Bible is full of stories of people who gave excuses, but God always has an answer to every excuse you can come up with.  In the Old Testament, God was preparing to deliver his people from Egypt.  He invited Moses to join Him, but when Moses met with God at the burning bush what did he say? 
 Who am I, that I should go?...What would I tell them?... What if they don't believe me?... I have never been good at speaking....LORD, PLEASE SEND SOMEONE ELSE! (Exodus 3-4) 
God had an answer for everyone of Moses' questions and then some. In the end, Moses obeyed God, but because of his excuses God used Moses brother Aaron to accomplish His will. 
Jeremiah had excuses :
 Jeremiah 1:4 The Lord said to me, 5 “I knew you before you were formed within your mother’s womb; before you were born I sanctified you and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.”
6 “O Lord God,” I said, “I can’t do that! I’m far too young! I’m only a youth! [insert your own excuses here]”
7 “Don’t say that,” He replied, “for you will go wherever I send you and speak whatever I tell you to. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I, the Lord, will be with you and see you through...I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”
“Get up and prepare for action.
    Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say.
Do not be afraid of them,
    or I will make you look foolish in front of them.
18 For see, today I have made you strong...
19 They will fight you, but they will fail.
    For I am with you, and I will take care of you. 
I, the Lord, have spoken!”

It is ok to ask questions, but don't let your excuses stop you from moving your life into God's will. He will be with you every step of the way.
Have you ever had that moment when you felt like God wanted you to go talk to someone, help someone, or share your faith? Your brain starts spouting off a million excuses as to why that is not a logical or practical course of action. Have you ever tried reasoning with God? [Let me give you a hint..it doesn't work] Fears, insecurities, and lack of time usually top the excuses chart. What is God asking you to do? Spend more time in the Word of God? Develop a real prayer life? Get involved in a church? Reach out and share your faith with a co-worker or family member?  Take a step of faith concerning a big decision? God invites us to join Him in His work, in a relationship with Him, and to live with Him in eternity.  If we keep making excuses, He will eventually stop asking. God will always find someone to accept his invitation, He doesn't need you- but He wants to give you the very best. 

Jesus told a  story [parable] that went like this:
 
“A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’  But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’  Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’ [fill in the blank with your own personal excuses]
 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’  After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’  So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.  For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.”Luke 14:16-24

Don't let your excuses cause you to miss out on the banquet that God has prepared for you.