Sometimes, it’s hard to make time even for the things of God.
I know for certain I’m not the only one who struggles with this. Often, I’m so consumed with a to-do list from the moment I open my eyes in the morning, I can sort of…forget to read my Bible or pray. Worse still, if I do things to help me remember—like put a reminder on my phone to read a Proverb or to pray for a few minutes—the things of God suddenly feel like another task to check off. Sure, it feels good to mark it “Completed”, but is my heart really invested?
So much of the Psalms serves as a heart-check for me. I love songs like the one David wrote in Psalm 122—just look at how it opens! Someone says, “Let’s go to the house of Yahweh!”, and how does David respond? Not with “Good grief, another task to do?!” Not with “Let me see if I can fit that somewhere into my busy day.” Nope! David rejoices at these words, and the rest of the Psalm describes going to Jerusalem and worshipping, praying peace over the city, over the house of Yahweh.
Now, David was not a fella who sat around all day with endless hours to kill or a lot of free time to fill. From the first time we see him on the page, this is a man of vigilance who has a lot of work to do…protecting flocks, leading armies, leading a whole kingdom. David was a busy guy! Yet we see his enthusiasm and passion for the things of God never wavered. In his heart, he was keeping the first things first.
This is a lesson all of us can stand to keep in mind! No matter how busy we are, no matter what else is on the agenda, the things of God must take priority. With joyful hearts, we should be entering into His presence, into worshipping Him, into serving as He has called us to serve. We need to make time—and do it not grudgingly, but joyfully, knowing the moments we spend with God in fellowship and doing His will are not wasted time we could be spending doing something “more productive” or “more fruitful”.
Indeed, nothing is of greater benefit than coming joyfully before our Maker, communing with Him, and receiving wisdom, guidance, and direction to fulfill His calling on our lives. It’s how we actually make the most of every day, regardless of what’s on our to-do list. No matter how hard it is to make time, we must make time for Him!
