It Takes Time to Serve The Lord!

I once heard this elderly lady say that it takes time to raise children... and as those of you with kids can testify - that is a true fact!

I certainly thank the Lord for His patience in raising me. Most of the time, I want to go my own way, and do what I want to do - when I want to do it. But there are so many things we are not aware of. We start out as babies in the natural, just as we start out as babies in the spiritual - we have to be taught how to do things and that takes time.

My grandmother once told me that going on for God is like climbing a ladder - you don't step on the first step and then you're at the top. No, you go one step at a time. What happens when a baby begins to walk? He inevitably tries to go too fast and ends up falling down. We're like that spiritually sometimes. I can't stress enough that we must spend time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word, so that He can teach us.

Babies in the natural don't stay the same size - as you feed them, they grow; as you teach them, they learn. It's the same with us. As we feed on God's Word, we grow and we learn. We just have to slow down, be patient and spend time with the Lord. In reality, we're not just spending - we're actually investing and investing in Jesus pays the best dividends you'll ever get - Eternal Life!

So remember that when we come before Him, we should never act as if it's a chore. Instead, we should come with a made up mind to serve the Lord with gladness! As Psalms 100:2-5 tells us, we must "serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."

With all that's said, let the church say Amen...and Amen!