Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4
Have you entered into the Lord’s gates today? I heard a message a while ago where the Pastor preached on our covenant with God. I was thinking how blessed we are that Christ’s death and resurrection created a covenant for us with the Father – for all born-again believers! What a joy to meditate on that today. So today, I want to encourage each of you toward righteousness.
We do not need to be defeated Christians. We do not need to give in to temptation. We just need to be hard workers at our faith in our precious Saviour. There is many a lady who gives it her “all” when it comes to caring for her husband, her family, her home, etc. We can’t stop there … we need to care for our spiritual lives with just as much zeal and effort. Yes, cleaning the bathroom and doing laundry is a chore. I just don’t get that same effervescent feeling the lady in the commercial gets about my scrubbing bubbles cleaning my toilet, you know? 😁 It’s WORK to get these chores done – but the feeling of satisfaction afterwards is priceless!
Making sure that we cover all the areas of our spiritual lives is work also. But this “work” has eternal results. The work in our homes is temporary – the dust will always come back and there will always be dishes and laundry to do. But the work we do for the Lord is forever. I think of Christ’s account of Mary and Martha. He did not use a parable here but referred to actual women. The Lord placed this account in His Word especially for us! Mary spent her time at His feet while Martha carried on with the chores. Mary gleaned from the Master while Martha missed out on His blessings from the Word.
Working at our spiritual lives is just that – WORK! Here is a little something that helps me strive in this area of training myself and I want to share it with you.
W – Wake up with the Lord with song! Sing your favorite hymn – you know the one – it just speaks to your heart and gets you in the right mood – Mine is “How Great Thou Art”
O – Open my heart to Him in prayer. I believe in making my heart right with God before praying for others. I confess my sins, I scootch into His side and then I pray for others. I have a prayer list – in fact, I’m making a prayer journal to start using – and I keep this list with my Bible – the list is so long but I’ve broken it down by days, so each day has a different grouping of people (i.e. Sunday = church family; Monday = missionaries; etc). I record specific details for each of these people so I’m praying for specific needs, not generalities.
R – Read His Word! Reading God’s Word is a learned trait that can greatly enhance your spiritual journey. It’s important to approach His Word with an open heart and mind, allowing it to inspire and guide you rather than becoming overly stringent in your study. By doing so, you can truly enjoy the richness and depth of Scripture, discovering lessons and insights that will apply to your daily life. I have a dedicated time for reading each day, which allows me to immerse myself in different passages—reflecting on their meanings, pondering their applications, and letting them fill me with peace and understanding. Embracing this routine not only deepens my faith but also brings a sense of joy and fulfillment that comes from connecting with the divine message.
K – Keep Him in the forefront of my mind all day. When I have sung, prayed and read, it’s pretty hard to forget the God I started your day with.
I used to have my time with Him at night because my children were early risers and I was “running” from the time they woke up till it was time for their bedtime. As mothers, our lives come in “seasons.” No matter what time suits you best, make it a habit. You may have to adjust the time as your home changes seasons but keep at it.
If you don’t have a special time, resolve to yourself to make one. If you want to succeed at this, hold yourself accountable to someone. Ask a good friend to ask you daily if you spent your time with the Lord. One who won’t take excuses but will lovingly tell you that your excuse is not a good one!
Dear God…
Help me to be like Mary
As I start this day, oh Lord
Mindful of the things I’ve gleaned
From Your Holy Word!










