It's a Jungle Out There!

What you see above is an attempt to be creative using sidewalk chalk. The result is nothing short of pure artistic genius (okay, maybe I just copied the picture on the back of the chalk package). I love sidewalk chalk, and I bought some last night after going to dinner with my family. This is no ordinary sidewalk chalk. It is "sidewalk chalk: safari colors edition." Hence, the back of the package had this lovely jungle scene that I did my best to recreate in my parents' driveway. Although the rain will soon wash this masterpiece away, its memory will be forever honored on my quaint little blog.

I have been at a loss as to what to blog about over the past week. Every time I would think about posting, my heart just wasn't in it. I didn't know why this was, but then I realized that neither had my heart been in my daily time spent alone with the Lord. The world is so full of distractions for me. When I picture a person standing in a jungle (kind of like the one I drew), I imagine that the person would be overwhelmed by all the different noises, animals, bugs(unfortunately), plants... There is an entire "jungle" of things in my life that constantly vie for my attention. It is so hard at times to not let these "jungle noises" distract me from spending time with God.

"Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." -Psalm 111:2

I read this verse during one of my quiet times earlier this week. It really convicted me. As I sat reading this verse, I was reading my Bible only to check it off my "daily Christan duties list." Instead of merely reading God's word, I should be delighting in it! It is full of his works, his faithfulness, his power, and the list goes on. This brings to mind for me a verse in James:

"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." -James 1:22

These verses really make me think about how I read God's word. Am I delighting in the things of him when I read it? Am I reading it to be instructed, challenged, and convicted? Or am I just reading to mark it off my "list?" Unfortunately my answers are usually "no" to the first two questions, and "yes" to the last one. It shouldn't be this way for me, and it saddens my heart that it often is. If I am not being intentional when I spend time in God's word then how is my heart and my mind going to be ready to notice all the "abundant sunshine" God has for me in it?