Did you know the Lord will schedule "dates"  with us?  Divine appointments when He expects us, desires us to draw aside with Him, as Jesus did with his Father when He went alone to the mountains to pray "and when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone". Jesus, you see, was practicing what he taught us to do: "But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly".

Those who do not pray in secret, who do not meet with God privately,  love to pray in public before men, especially in churches,  for they seek the reward that comes from men. Thosr who pray in private as Jesus instructed,  do not usually pray in public - and they too have their reward, which comes from the Father alone. "And it came to pass, as he was alone praying".  Spending quality time alone with God is a vital step on the path to maturity.  

The thing is - these "dates" will sometimes come at inopportune moments. They may interrupt your ball game for instance, or that quiet time you've been yearning for all week. You know, when you're about to curl up on the couch with a good book or movie, with that cup of coffee.  The point is, when we want a "date" with Him, He is more than willing - always ready to drop what He's doing to meet with us and give us His full attention.  Can we treat Him any differently? What in your life is more important than Him? Ask yourself.  Put another way - in your life, what are you more passionate about than Him? Because if there's an  answer to that question besides "nothing" and "no one" then self hasn't been fully crucified in your heart. Remember " you are not ypur own, you are bought with a great price". 

This life is not youra to do with as you please - we are to live for Him not ourselves.  We are to seek to give Him pleasure not ourselves. "If you turn away from.......doing your pleasure on My holy day.....and shall honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor speaking your own words: then shall you delight yourself in the Lord". See it? We cannot delight ourselves in the Lord till we turn away from seeking our own pleasure. America! America - God shed His grace on thee but you took his grace and squandered it on the pursuit of pleasures. We spend, as a natiin, billions each year seeking to pleasure ourselves- enough to feed the world's poor several times over. Hey, let's spend our money on a bigger building to meet in! We must commit our hearts to either seek Him or seek to please ourselves.  We can't have it both ways.

The times we draw aside to privately meet with one another are more precious to me than silver or gold. They're the most precious moments of my life. I've now virtually given up watching TV and movies. I've been fasting from the words of man that i might more clearly hear the words of God. I love you Lord, though i don't always act like it. I appreciate your desire to spend time with me, for desiring me. Thank you for wanting me, i want you too.

I would like to urge you, my reader, to schedule a date with the Lord and keep it. Yet even as i write this i realize your heart is already inclined to do so. Or not. If not, break up the fallow ground of your heart - focus your heart on Him. He's a great date! He's shown mw shooting stars, glorious sunsets,  painted just for me, he's tuned my ears to the sound of children laughing with delight as they play together,  carefree and light hearted. He's shown me countless miracles, large and small, as we've walked and talked together through the years, delighting in each other's company.  He's shared his heart with me not just his mind and he'll do this with you too, if you desire him to. He wants to hear your poems and songs written especially  for him and he wants to share poetry he's composed just for you. You are his bride - starr acting like it. 

Selah.