Where are you?

(So this was a blog I wrote back in 2015 and never published until now.)

So I started a blog, wrote one post and then kind of forgot about it. It's been about 2 years since my first post, but I'm back because I have something from my heart that I would like to share.

I recently started a new summer Bible Study by Angie Smith called, "Seamless." Several ladies from the church and my friends decided to do this online Bible Study together this summer. I started last night and read the first week's worth. So far it's a great read and I'm excited about learning more about God's Word throughout the next 6 weeks. 

Here is the link to the Bible Study if you're interested in learning more. I would encourage you to look into it if you're interested in learning how the Bible all connects together. It's a great women's study.

http://blog.lproof.org/2015/05/how-to-have-a-fabulous-summer-in-2-words-bible-study.html

Anyway, I was reading about God's creation of the earth and mankind and a familiar passage of scripture had new meaning to me thanks to Angie Smith. It got me thinking and I started meditating on it and I felt like God reminded me of this blog in order to get this message out there to those who aren't doing the study.

We all know the story of Adam & Eve. God created man and woman in his likeness and put them in the beautiful Garden of Eden. God supplied all of their needs and they trusted that He would. The only restriction was to not eat from a certain tree, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil. We know that the story goes that the serpent (stupid serpent) convinced Eve to eat from that tree, who in turn had Adam eat from it, resulting in them learning that they were naked. Here is when sin entered into the world.

(But as I know from experience, when you tell a woman not to do something, that makes her want to do it even more!) Can I get a witness?

When sin entered the world, their eyes were opened, they realized they were naked, and immediately
started covering their nakedness with leaves.

Read Genesis 3:8-11

 8Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

I've heard this story over and over again, but now it has new meaning. 

We know that our God is an omnipresent, omniscient, God; yet he asked Adam, "Where are you?" God knew exactly where they were and what they had done. When He asked Adam that he was not asking for his physical location, for he already knew that. He was asking a much deeper question than that. God was asking Adam where his heart was. You see, sin at that point entered the world. God's perfect creation, made in His likeness, had sinned against his Creator. God was at this point questioning the condition of Adam's heart. Imagine that God is talking to you. "Where are you? or "Where is your heart?" 

So now I'm asking you, "Where is your Heart?" 

Take a moment to really think about that question. "Where is your heart?" 

Have you fully given and surrendered your heart over to Jesus? 

Are you constantly maintaining your relationship with Him? or is He just someone you think about every now and then or when things get tough?

What are you doing to guard your heart against the evil things in this world? 

Are you hiding God's Word in your heart and standing on His Word on a daily basis? 

We are all sinners made clean only by the blood of Jesus. Hopefully, you've already given your heart to Jesus and have made Him your Lord & Savior. (If not, it's very simple and I'll help you do that in my first blog post.) 

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

As I sit and write this, I can't help but think about everything in my life that keeps me so busy. From work, church, family, etc... I have felt myself growing complacent (a feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction). I was thinking that my relationship with God was good right where it was and that my heart was just fine. But honestly, it isn't! If I'm completely honest, I have not been doing my part in maintaining my relationship with Him. Don't get me wrong, I love God. I serve God, but I haven't been doing that with my whole heart. So when I read, "Where are you?" I felt God directly speaking to me. "Where is your heart?"

My question to you is, "Have you grown complacent in your relationship with Christ?" Today, it is so easy to get caught up in all the hussle and bussle that sometimes it's so easy to put our relationship with God off on the back burner. 

Why does it seem like He's always the first thing to get tossed back or put off when He's the only Constant in our lives? Are you guilty of doing that? 

Have we got so caught up in ourselves and our wants and needs that God's wants and needs don't matter to us anymore? 

Why is it that God seems to be the first thing that get's neglected in our hectic lives. How many Bibles have dust on them from the lack of wear? How many churches are empty on Sundays because of the lack of care and committment to God's house? How come so many sinners are dying and going to Hell because we refuse to share with them the love of God? The numbers are drastic and growing daily. 

What happened to Christians putting God first in their lives and making Him their #1 priority above all else? His name should be the first out of our mouths in the morning and the last breath we breathe at night. If we truly had a "heart after God's own heart," then we would make time to worship Him, study His Word, serve Him and his people, and share His great love with others.  

 And if I may get off on my soapbox for a minute....God commanded the children of Israel and wrote in the 10 Commandments to "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy." We as believers are called to set aside one day a week to remember the works of His hands. (We should do that everyday in our private time, but He wants us to gather together with other believers---or in other words, Go to church!!!) God wants us to assemble together as believers and "like minded" people to worship and serve Him. One day a week! Was He asking too much from us asking us to forsake everything and gather to worship Him one day a week for a few hours? Why does it seem like "our time to gather together" or "going to church" is always the first thing we tend to put off, or negotiate with? If you know me at all then you know that this drives me crazy more than anything---more than my 16 year old! Maybe it's just me because I was raised in church and went every time the doors were opened. My parents instilled that in me. It wasn't ever up for question whether or not I wanted to go or not. My parents were committed to their churches and served while they were there and they taught me how to do the same thing. To me, on Sundays I go to church from 10:30-12:30 no ifs, ands or buts. It's a commitment I make to God. 

Oh... and it's not just about going to church. Some people just show up at church so they can say they went to church, but don't do anything while they're there, but take up space. God doesn't want us to play church for the sake of it. He wants us to have church!!! It's what you do while you're there that matters. Are you praising and worshipping Him? Are you getting into the Word and being "doers" of the Word and not just "hearers?" 

I know what some of you are thinking---"Well I don't have to go to church to have a relationship with God!" And please forgive me for saying this, but....WRONG! That is a lie from the pit of hell! I don't buy that and I never will. Personally, that thinking is the thinking of someone who is carnal and has grown complacent and is putting their wants and needs above God's. Or from a person who chooses not to see the importance of going and growing with others. Or from a person who doesn't or never has had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That comes from someone who doesn't want to sacrifice their time for 2 hours (or less) to worship in God's House among other believers. It's a self problem! It's being selfish. It's really easy to make excuses, isn't it? (I could every week if I wanted to.) If God didn't want you to go to church, then wouldn't there be no churches? The church exists for that reason....for you to GO! (If you're physically not able (like the disabled or elderly), then that's a different story. If you're just being lazy, then that's another!) So if you've neglected going to church or you've found yourself making excuses week after week, then find a good Bible based church and start getting involved. You need to be in constant fellowship with like minded people and be in a place where you can grow. And while you there, get involved in the church somehow. Just don't be one of those people that slip in late and leave early. Be a servant! It will change your life, I promise! 

Regardless, Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

God sees your heart. He knows the condition of your heart. And this verse promises us that "the pure in heart, will see God." 

So where are you?