Linger

I am on a whole different schedule during summer. I realize it is a gift from the LORD to slow down and spend extended time with Him. I think of my time in the morning as “lingering with the LORD”. Sometimes I spend extended time in prayer, or journaling (which in turn becomes blogging), in study, or in worship. I linger with Him . . . IN Him . . . no agenda, no time frame . . . just abiding.

And after just a few days I feel like a completely different person. I am more joyful (just ask my husband), I am at peace, I am rested . . . oh it’s just amazing. And I always ask myself, why do I have to wait until July to feel this way? Why do I starve myself or nibble on crumbs during the year instead of feasting in abundance?

Busyness. That’s why . . . I’m so busy. And if I’m not busy, I’m tired.

In Ann Voskamp’s book “1000 Gifts” she says “God is the giver of time, and who has time for God?”

If we are so busy in our daily life to sit and enjoy the Bread of Life, is it no wonder we are exhausted, discouraged, and hopeless?

Sometimes my devotional time with the LORD is so rushed; it feels more like grabbing dinner from the drive-thru rather than feasting on the Bread of Life. I ate, I’m full . . . but I’m not satisfied. I’m left feeling malnourished and guilty for not eating right.

Have you ever been there? Just too busy or too tired to linger with the LORD? We can’t truly grow on just 5 or 10 minutes with the LORD every once in a while. It’s better than complete starvation, but it certainly isn’t nourishing enough to make you strong and healthy.

Thinking of my last post from Ecclesiastes 3 (A Time for Everything) and learning from Jesus . . .
He made time to be alone with the LORD and time be in community.
He made time to pull away and time to enter in.
He made time to serve, time to worship, time to pray, time to learn, time to teach, and time to abide.

We should always make time to feast on the Bread of Life and drink from His river of delights (Psalm 36:8).

There should always be time to linger in the LORD.

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

P.S. Out of curiosity, I looked up the following words in a dictionary. Here are some of the definitions I found:

Busyness: lively but meaningless activity.
Linger: to remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected; to remain alive; continue or persist; to dwell in contemplation, thought, or enjoyment.
Feast: to dwell with gratification or delight