The Great Commandment

Hey, this is a great idea! It encouraged me to do my quiet time today, which I haven't done in over a month now I think. It's been a long time. It's been really hard for me here to make time for God.. Being away made me realize how important fellowship is, and how important having a church and mentors/friends are, but at the same time I realized I can't depend on them all the time. I think this semester has been a challenge for me to rely on God, and just God, and learn how to devote time on my own to develop my friendship with him (which I am currently failing). I feel like a baby just learning how to walk (with God) on my own.

Anyway, since I haven't been talking to God through prayer or listening to him through the word, I've been feeling like he's been absent in my life or really distant. (Even though he's right there!!) But I still can't shake this feeling of absence in my life, like I'm missing something, and even though I know why I feel that way.. I can't get myself to do my QT's every day or pray.. why?? I don't know, the enemy has got a hold of me!.. it's a constant battle!! You know, but I'm thankful, because I'm also reminded of how so many of my friends and non-believers feel/are living their lives. It's very routine and I feel like I'm lacking a lot of the pure joy I felt when I was closest to God.

It's funny because I made one of these blog things about a year ago and I dedicated it to showing God's work in my life, and re-reading my last post made me realize how dry i've gotten and how joyless I am! I mean I'm happy traveling and sight-seeing and being abroad etc but I haven't felt that excitement and pure heavenly joy in a while. BUT i'm really glad this small group blog came about because re-reading my last post reminded me of a lot of things. And just spending time writing this out is making me realize a lot of things! The verses I want to share come from

Mark 12:28-34

The Greatest Commandment

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

[I really liked this last verse because I see it as the presence of Heaven and the presence of God, is very similar to the presence of love and the knowing or wisdom of the Word. The man replies "wisely" implying that he knows very well the teachings of God, because Jesus says in Matthew what the greatest commandment is, but not only does he KNOW the word, he LOVES God, because only a man who loves God and has a deep, confident and wonderful relationship with God could reply with such an answer as verse 32.]

Two words: Love God.. and the rest will fall into place


I pray that all of us will not only make God our number 1, but that we love him "with all our heart, all our understanding and with all our strength." I want to think about You all the time, and I pray that you engulf our minds, bodies and souls with your presence and your spirit. I pray that you pound in us revelations, and fill our lives this week with divine encounters, and allow us to carry out your will in our daily lives. I pray that you fill us with a love so great that it blows people away, impacting and transforming lives every moment we are interacting with someone else. Let us be your great warriors and soldiers and be the light where there is darkness. Let us love one another, for you have shown us great mercy and love first. We praise you and your Greatness, to which no one can compare. You truly are an Awesome God, worthy of our time, commitment and whole selves. I thank you for all you've done and provided me; I am humbled in your presence. I offer this blog and this blog post to you and may it be pleasing to you and fill you with joy and a lot of smiles! I love you God, and I pray all these things in Jesus' merciful name AMEN.


And I love you guys! I'm sorry this post was so long, it (probably) won't happen again!
Thank you for a lot of things. KEEP ME POSTED!