HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD BECOME TIRED AND SLUGGISH?

SCRIPTURE:
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. 
One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 
(John 9:25)

MEDITATION:
John tells us about a man who was physically blind, until He met Jesus.
When he encountered the Son of God, it was delightful experience.
He could now see, and his life was changed forever!

Have you ever thought about how many might be spiritually blinded?
Their eyes have not been opened to the joy of following Christ.
They have never experienced the thrill, the excitement, 
or the exhilaration of knowing where they have come from, 
why they are here, and where they are going.
They fail to understand why they exist.
They do not enjoy the satisfaction 
of having a reason for getting up every morning.

Some go through the motions of being ‘religious’, 
but do not fully enjoy fellowshipping with the Lord.
They have allowed themselves to be numbed 
to a routine of scheduled religious activities.
If all we do, is drag ourselves to church on Sunday, 
listen to a sermon, sing some songs and go home, 
then have we truly spent time worshipping and praising the Lord?

Satan would love to convince us that going through the motions of worship 
fulfills our ‘obligation’ of obedience, 
but true worship is much more than that.
If we want to be blessed when worshipping the Lord, 
then we need to attend church with an excited anticipation 
of what He wants to say to us individually. 
This same enthusiasm should be meshed into our lives every day.

Giving thanks each morning for the Lord watching over you and your family 
while you were sleeping, is a good way of acknowledging His presence, 
and starting the day in fellowship Him.
If you felt threatened and asked someone to protect you and your family 
during the night, you would readily express your gratitude to them 
in the morning, right?

We should awaken each morning 
with a desire to see how the Lord will use us during the day.
It may not be something dramatic or of historic proportions, 
but when we have an attitude of gratitude, 
we have a heart of willingness to serve Him.
God may place someone in our path who needs a word of encouragement 
and when we are alert to His will for us, 
we are prepared to lift their spirit with a kind word or deed.

ACTION:
If your worship experience is routinish and lethargic, 
then perhaps Satan has numbed your enthusiasm. 
If your fellowship with the Lord is distant and irregular, 
then maybe your ‘spiritual eyes’ have been blinded.

Take time to speak to the Lord about what changes you need to make 
to revive your fellowship with Him and to develop an enthusiasm for worship.
Look for opportunities to lift the spirits of others.
Encourage someone who is actively serving the Lord in some capacity.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me if I have allowed Satan to blind me from the 
joy and excitement of having a close relationship with You. Remind me of 
my enthusiasm when I surrendered my life to You, and restore in me the 
joy I felt at that time. Change me so that each day I will look forward 
to communicating with You, and I will anticipate the possibility that You 
will use me in some way. Give me a heart of love and appreciation for the 
blessings You have given me. Show me how to let Your love flow to others 
through me.”