Today is the second day of Lent. If you know me, then you know I love Lent, Advent, a new year, and basically any opportunity to change and cling to Jesus. Each of these seasons can be a precious time to pursue God and see spiritual growth.

But the truth is that we don’t have to wait for a special holiday or season to seek God. We can experience a meaningful connection with Him every day of the year. God is always there, waiting for us to meet with Him. Sadly, too often, we are too busy or too distracted to stop what we are doing and focus on Him.

We simply have to show up. Day by day, moment by moment, we have to choose God. We choose to get up early to read our Bible before heading to work. We choose to pray instead of checking social media. We choose to listen to praise music in the car instead of worldly music. All of these small, yet significant, choices add up and result in a beautiful relationship between you and your Heavenly Father.

The key is consistency. Are we devoted to pursuing God daily? Do we make time for Him every day, even in the midst of a hectic schedule? Are prayer, the Bible, and worship among our top priorities? Do we make a habit of talking to the Lord in our spare moments?

I was recently reading in the book of Genesis and I love the way the Bible says that Enoch “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 5:22,24). And the Bible also tells us that Noah “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 6:9). Walking faithfully with God is something we all can do every day of our lives. And the rewards will be immeasurable.

As Christians, we have a natural desire for God. But we have to make an effort to chase after Him. If we don’t, then our hunger will find other pleasures in life, in an attempt to satisfy that deep longing within. But we will never find ourselves satisfied, because the Lord is truly the only one who can satiate our hunger. Saint Augustine put it this way, “Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.”

The older I get, the more of God I want in my life. I want to rest at Jesus’ feet and absorb as much of Him as I can into my heart and life. I want to be more aware of His presence in my life. I want to see His footprints in every circumstance. He is always there. But do I miss out on so much because I am not looking?

Do you want more of God in your life? Do you want to be more aware of His presence? Do you want to soak up His love every day? Make a habit of walking with Him and following hard after Him. He is always there, waiting on us. So we have to make an effort to spend our days with Him. Over time, our spiritual lives will grow immensely. Our hearts will change, little by little. We will be filled with peace and joy. He will strengthen us, guide us, and teach us along the journey. We will be refined to be more like Jesus. And we will find that meaningful connection we have been longing for.

© 2021 Bridget A. Thomas