“The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened” (Prov. 10:27, MEV).
At this moment, I’m preparing for a conference in South Africa, trying to stay on top of my writing, and I have 10 children, all in various stages of life. If I were to have an excuse not to take time to be with Jesus, this would be it. Staying up late every night until midnight, packing during the day and chasing kids around the house, you’d think I’d cherish every extra moment of sleep.
Yet my eyes still pop open in the morning. Not because I’m wide awake, but rather because my heart is hungry. I need Jesus. I need to read His Word and spend time with Him. After years of loving Jesus, my heart reveres Him. I stand in awe of what a difference spending time with Him makes in my life.
In Jesus’ arithmetic, “subtracting” time from our busy day multiplies the potential of every moment. Because of our time with Him we have a clearer vision, a more peaceful heart and a more joyful spirit. When I spend time with Jesus, I better discern what to spend my time on. My day seems to work better, and in the way Jesus works, the hours of the day seem to multiply too.
This week is busy, yes, but when I spend time with my Lord, I can make it through the day better than I anticipated I could.
Faith Step: Find at least two other times during the day to get away with Jesus. Think about times like the ten minutes when your biscuits are baking at dinnertime or the fifteen-minute break you have at work. Afterward, consider how that time focused on Jesus impacted the rest of your day. {eoa}
Tricia Goyer has written more than 35 books, including both novels that delight and entertain readers and nonfiction titles that offer encouragement and hope. She has also published more than 500 articles in national publications such as Guideposts, Thriving Family, Proverbs 31, and HomeLife Magazine.
