I’m preaching tonight. Every 4th Friday of each month, a group of us from our church (Trinity Bible) head downtown to the men’s shelter operated by the Union Gospel Mission. As is often the case when I’m scheduled to preach to these men, I head into the week with two competing messages. Crazy, I know. This week has been no exception. I’m prepared to deliver either message. My struggle has been discerning which one God wants me to deliver tonight to reach these men’s hearts as they find themselves living in a homeless shelter. I’m so grateful for my daily quiet time with the Lord. This morning, as I sipped my hot coffee, and just tried to focus on God, He showed up to show me the way. That’s one of the many benefits of quiet time. God shows up right where you are. A few weeks ago, my life was a wreck. Things just weren’t going well. I felt like a train that had run off it’s track. It didn’t take long to realize I’d been skipping my quiet time. That’s a sure fire recipe for disaster. At least for me. It wasn’t hard to get back on the right path. I simply started the next morning, asking God’s forgiveness for failing to meet with Him daily as I know I should. Like the old hymn says, I need Him every hour. My daily quiet time with God connects me with Him in a very real way. It roots me like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season, not withering(Psalm 1). Quiet time with God and His Word anchors me, helping me gain and maintain a proper God-centered perspective on my life and everyone and everything in it. It reminds me that I’m not my own, but that I’ve been bought at a price, ransomed for His glory. Quiet time provides nourishment, refreshment, encouragement and challenges that sustain my walk with Him. It helps me grow spiritually. It reveals the work that He is going to have me do that day. His work, that He prepared in advance for me to do. Without my quiet time, I easily get lost, not knowing what I’m suppossed to do. It’s what helps me ensure that I’m putting my ladder on the right wall before I get ready to climb. Hopefully tonight’s message to the men will provide them support, comfort, encouragement, as well as a challenge. I know it already has done that for me.
