After moving six times in six years I have quit unpacking everything and just bring out the basic necessities.  No more couch cushions, no more pictures on the walls, no more candles decorating the bedroom dresser.  I decided today to put some actions behind the many times I have said that I need to go through the boxes in the basement.  Like most basements, the lighting isn’t very good, so I had to drag things out of the darkness of the far-reaching corners of the basement into the light to reveal what was hidden in each box; treasures or trash.

Aspen has more boxes of toys than three kids need.  I’m not sure how I’m going to get rid of any of Aspen’s toys though, she is watching them like a hawk.  Never mind that if we put them all in her playroom she wouldn’t have room to play!  Brett has too many boxes of memorabilia and things like winter scarves that never get used.  I’m sure he will never get rid of the memorabilia, but possibly I can sneak some of those wool scarves and ’80’s shorts into the give-away bag.

How many bad habits am I keeping around in the basement of my life?  How many trashy things are hidden in the far dark corners of my spiritual basement?  Bad habits are never a good idea, but eventually they become as useful as a pair of 1980’s shorts.  Brett doesn’t want to wear them, but he keeps them around anyway.  So why do I keep around those bad habits I know I shouldn’t be keeping around?  I guess I must have really liked them at first, but like most bad habits they just become something that gets lugged around from place to place without any real use except that they add baggage and weight to my life and they are always on my mind as something I need to get rid of but never take the actions to actually get rid of them.  Time to clean house.  Time to turn on the light.

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.
Job 12:22

I recently heard the topic of daily devotions being discussed.  Many people believe that daily devotional time spent with God is a good thing. But rather than feeling joyful about it and looking forward to spending time with God they find their devotional time boring and therefore avoid it.   The leader of the discussion asked how long we should spend in daily devotions.  Someone suggested 30 minutes. 

If I believe that I need to spend 30 minutes in daily devotional time to be doing it right, even though I consider it boring, then it is unlikely that I will do it at all.  I suggest that if we find daily devotional time boring to just spend a few minutes a day reading a short devotional.  Exercising our spiritual muscles is similar to exercising physically.  No one expects a couch potato to get up and run a marathon, but would expect them to begin an exercise program with a short daily walk and work up to more strenuous exercise. 

Exercise is even more inspiring and easy to do if we do it with a friend.  So I suggest that before beginning a short devotional time that you ask the Holy Spirit to join you.  David said in Psalm 63:5-7,   “….My mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night; for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.”  Quite obviously for David daily devotional time was not boring, it brought him great joy.  But, how do we get that joy?  Jesus says in John 14:26 that He will give us the Holy Spirit who will teach us all things.  When we ask the Holy Spirit to join us in our devotional time He can share with us the same joy that David experienced when he spent his devotional time with God.

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may exult in You. For You bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.  Psalm 5:11-12