As a disclaimer, I have to clarify that this post may go a bit off topic, and it may switch direction a time or two; But, at the heart of the message I'm talking about Jesus, so maybe it really isn't going off topic after all.
Let me first present a simple idea: "You can't schedule God."
I mean this in more than one way. In the first sense, we don't fit God into our schedules. We don't block off a portion of our day and decide this is when God is going to speak, and this is the only time we are willing to listen. Let me suggest the fact that instead, God is with us in every aspect of our lives, whether that means at the grocery store, work, school or during our "designated" God time. If God begins to move, nothing you do is going to manipulate that. We can't fit Him into a tiny block of time and we most certainly can't decide when we will allow Him to show up.
Which brings me to my second point: We don't have authority over God. Too often when we try to schedule God, we're also trying to display control over him, as if somehow we actually believe that we have the authority to tell him where he can and can't show up in our lives. God was with us earlier today, he is with you as you're reading this very sentence, and I guarantee you he will still be with you once you log off of this post. He is with you whether you believe he is or not; He doesn't appear at your discretion only, and his presence isn't only valid if you take notice of it.
There's a song lyric I heard earlier today that says "We welcome you with praise," and as beautiful as it is, part of me chuckles inside every time I hear it, because why do I need to welcome someone in if they've never left my side? How do you welcome someone who has always been right next to you? How can I welcome God into my life, if he was never absent from it to begin with?
God is always with us. He always has been, he is now, and he always will be, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to change that because even my deepest darkest sins can't steal away the grace he has given me.
God is good. (All the time. All the time... God is good!) No, but really, God IS good. And the best part is that his goodness doesn't depend on my goodness, because if it did, I'd never be able to match that. Whether life is good, or it isn't treating you so well: No matter how good or bad your current situation is, God remains constant. God remains good and what better of a foundation could there be to build your life off of than one that cannot crack, one that cannot shatter beneath you, and one that does not waiver. Setting your foundation in something that cannot be shaken by this world, is the very thing you need if you also desire to stand strong.
God is good, and he is always with you. And whether you're listening or not, he is calling out your name, waiting for you to respond. I have to believe that every time you respond, whether it is for your hundredth time during the day or your first time throughout life, all of heaven erupts in praise. God loves his children and eagerly awaits their return to him, and no matter how many times you rebuild your foundation, no matter how many times you turn away from God only to wind up seeking him again, no matter how many times you crack under pressure, God rejoices the same each time you come back to him. Just like in the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father runs with open arms at the sight of his beloved child's return. Not a single thing the child did was enough to hold back the love his father had for him. I pray that wherever you are in life at the moment: whether you're in a season of change, a season of searching, a season of depression or even joy- Place your life in the hands of the one who remains steadfast. God is good, God loves you, and nothing can ever separate you from Him, even if you don't realize it quite yet.
