Are we sitting at His feet?

Wow, I've really at last finished school for the year, and the Holidays have started... finally! Can you tell I'm quite happy? Not that I dislike school; no. It is just that it is so good to be able to do other projects and relax a bit, and spend more time with family and friends but especially taking time to spend it at the feet of my Abba Father...

Do you ever go through times where you feel that you've become too caught up and 'busy' and not giving time to true worship or devotion or listening to the Lord? When you go through the motions without much thought or honesty in your heart about how you've been living your life before the Lord? I know that I do, and oh, how horrible it is to go from day to day without dwelling in my Saviour's Presence! Sometimes we can become so caught up in the things we're doing, the activities that surround us, and our materialistic goals and dreams that we forget HIM! Yes, we believe in God, but oft' we seem to act as though He isn't there, and we forget that His Spirit dwells in us. How it must grieve our Heavenly Father when we live our life like this, going from day to day without weeping at His feet in repentance and godly sorrow, in rejoicing in His forgiveness and love, in listening to His voice and abiding in His Word. 

I've been doing a lot of thinking, praying.
Something that has burdened me a lot lately is...
how little time I've spent at my Abba Father's feet.
Life rushes by, and my love grows lukewarm and cold...
and yet, paradoxically I DO have a stronger desire, 

a hunger in the depths of my heart to grow in Jesus, dwell in His Presence and an urgent urge to pray and meditate on His Word. It is truly a battlefield of the heart. "The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak," Jesus said, and yet... what excuse do we need? Jesus has captured our hearts... He gave His life for us, shed His blood for you and me.  
He is the Bread of Life. The Fountain of Life.

Glancing at the book by Ruth Bryan, "Christ Is All!", I caught sight of these words,

"O lovely, glorious Immanuel! my soul burns with new ardor in intense longings after You; all else sinks into nothingness. You, and none but You Yourself, does my soul desire." 

-Ruth Bryan pg. 47 from "Christ Is All!"

Oh, how truly this is my heart's desire! I don't know how to describe this... but I've been realizing how we need to cling to the Lord Jesus above everything else and anything else. To love Him, obey Him and dwell in His Presence all the day long. To know His love, and abide in it. I really want with all my heart to have my heart burning and on fire for the Lord, and not grow cold in my first love for my Saviour. That's my prayer during this time especially. In the last few days, the Lord spoke to my heart through certain passages from His Word, in Isaiah and Hosea. Isaiah 43 convicted me in particular.

"But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob;

and you have been weary of Me, O Israel.

You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,

Nor have you honoured Me with your sacrifices.

I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings,

Nor wearied you with incense. 

You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,

Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;

But you have burdened Me with your sins, 

You have wearied Me with your iniquities."

Isaiah 43: 22-24

This may all sound like issues referring to the Old Testament, but in reality it isn't. We must remember that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Psalm 51). It is also giving our hearts to Him, and laying our lives at the alter. But are we only sacrificing to Him with our lips and not with our hearts? This has truly convicted me. In repentance and sorrow before the Lord, not 'penance' but repentance. Lord give me that! 

The text in Isaiah continues, and we see the love of the Lord, His forgiveness...

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;

And I will not remember your sins. 

Put Me in remembrance;

Let us content together;

State your case, that you may be acquitted."

Isaiah 43: 25-26

 Oh, I love Him so and I truly desire to abide in Him all the more. His love is so wonderful, so beyond our own understanding! One of the biggest lies Satan can throw at our face is that because of our sins, our short-comings and failings, we cannot approach our Abba Father's Presence anymore. But praise to the Lord, that Christ has redeemed us, purchased us with His own blood, and there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. "Through His blood, we can enter the Throne of Grace boldly, that we may find mercy and help in time of need". I thank the Lord Jesus that He has won the victory! I really liked a quote by Martin Luther that really inspired and encouraged me. I actually first heard it through watching the "Luther" movie. here it is:

"So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!"

~Martin Luther

This is a long post, but before I go, I just wanted to share with you one last verse from Hosea.

"Come, and let us return to the LORD;

For He has torn, but He will heal us;

He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 

After two days He will revive us; 

On the third day He will raise us up,

That we may live in His sight. 

Let us know,

Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.

His going forth is established as the morning;

He will come to us like the rain,

Like the latter and former rain to the earth."

Hosea 6: 1-3

Yes, let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD! By His grace working in our hearts, let us abide in Him, and sit at His feet every moment of the day.