Another Piece to Maintaing God's Presence in Our Lives

Dear ones,

I got up this morning and fixed Janice breakfast in bed. It takes me three times as long to do most things, breakfast included, but since it was labor of love, I didn't mind.

It's that way with Jesus. I no longer hurry to have my time with Him but rather take whatever time it takes to rest at His feet, place my head on His breast and hear his heart beat. He has something important to say to me each morning and I want to be there to listen.

Today, He was speaking to me through the book of Joshua. He gave me a piece of the puzzle to maintaining his presence throughout the day.

The story is after Jericho fell under the Israelite army's sword. But when they attempted to take the city of Ai, they were defeated. The reason was the "sons of Israel" had disobeyed the Lord by taking some of the things under the ban that the Lord had told them not to take.

I found it interesting that one man's sin effected his family and the whole nation. They all were lumped in with one man's sin.

The man was Achan. He did in secret what only the Lord could see and 36 men paid with their lives for Achan's sin during the attack of the city of Ai.

When Joshua cried out to the Lord about it, God rebuked him and told him of the sin and told him He would not be with them until they got rid of the things He told them they could not have.

"I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst." Joshua 7:12

If we have in our possession anything that would be displeasing to the Lord, can we expect his unfettered presence to be with us?

Here's to clearing out of the way whatever would hinder the fullness of the presence of God with us!

Love,
Tim