Encouragement

---

Anticipation

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ. Thessalonians 5:16-18 (KJV)

At the risk of ageing myself I remember when talking on the telephone was the only way to communicate and hear a person’s voice other than being with them. Now we have text, skype, face time, face book, and all kind of audio, video and textual messages. Hey, don’t get me wrong I love hearing from my wife now but when we were first dating and were not living under the same roof the anticipation of the next date or the next phone call sent tingles. I couldn’t wait. Have you felt like that, do you still? We would spend hours on the phone and in person, non- stop talking. I still feel that way; I give up things to be with my wife. Even if we are not talking I just like knowing being with her.

Ya know, God wants a relationship with us like that. As much as our loved one has to offer us and us them, God has so much more. God doesn’t text us, call us nor does he skype us. God speaks to us through His own Holy Spirit, prayer, meditation and his loving journal we call, the Bible. Do you know that God longs for a relationship with you and me? God anticipates and longs for our next get together and call. Isaiah 30:18 (NIV) says: “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” God is in love with you and me, and desires our presence.

Spending time with God is amazing and should be desired, anticipated and longed for. Reading the bible is not just for information through God’s words and loves it is also for transformation. Spending time with God and the anticipation of it as a Christ follower can be as exciting as and more exciting than any relationship we are in. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, spending time with God always. Prayer, even the simple conversation with God, meditation, reading His word, growing spiritually mature, seeking wise and Godly counsel and being open the Holy Spirit is all part of that special, relationship with our loving Father. So long for, expect and anticipate but better yet keep that line open to God always, he longs for us, long for him.

God Bless
Ken Jones
THS <><

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR