By: Sarah Geringer
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.
Psalm 84:10a NIV
A robot vacuum is teaching me about faith in this season.
Since we have two Labrador retrievers that shed lots of fur, a robot vacuum is almost a necessity. Otherwise, I'd be vacuuming every day for at least 30 minutes per day.
The robot vacuum takes a load off me. It sweeps the main floor pretty well each day, picking up most of the junk.
Yet I have learned it's not sufficient for keeping my hardwood and slate floors as clean as I like. At least once per week, I need to drag out my Dyson and vacuum by hand to get the floors in tip-top shape.
I'm learning that light sweeps are good, but heavy sweeps are still needed. On the weeks I haven't kept up with my Dyson, I can tell a difference in the dirt level with my bare feet...ewww.
Here's the faith metaphor: I need daily sips of God's Word, but I also need deeper, longer, more meaningful sessions with him on a regular basis. I have enjoyed daily Bible study for two decades, about 15 minutes per day. But even that's not enough to really connect with God at the level I want.
A couple times per week, I connect much deeper with God than I do in my morning Bible study sessions. I take 30 minutes to an hour to pour out my concerns to God on long prayer walks, and this is where I sort out the heavy-duty matters of faith. It's kind of like spending a whole "day" in God's courts rather than a few minutes.
The daily sessions enhance the deeper sessions, and vice versa. I need the sips of refinement and sanctification each morning as well as the deeper sessions with God once or twice per week that really remove the junk in my heart and cleanse me for greater service.
What does a robot vacuum teach us about faith? Learn more here.
I pray that as you grow in daily Bible study, you will also go deeper with God each week with longer prayer or praise sessions. The Sabbath is a perfect opportunity to spend 30 minutes or longer on a prayer walk, singing praise songs, or even combining the two. Try it out, and watch how your faith deepens and matures with this extra layer of connection to God.
Photo from Canva.com
Check out my book, Hidden Manna on a Country Road, all about prayer walking - available now on Kindle and in paperback Nov. 1. Join the launch team HERE now through Sept. 30, 2022!
Listen to the audio version of this podcast HERE!
Reflection questions:
1. What daily practices do you have to connect with God?
2. When is the best time each week for you to connect deeper with God?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Beautiful insights here. I start my morning with prayer and bible. I also do walks with God and this is such a refreshing thing to do.
ReplyDeleteHumm. Great questions. I'm going to have to say my daily and weekly connection times vary. I usually read devotionals every day. And I'm in his Word every other or 3rd day for over an hour. I like to read a chapter from each of the OT & NT.
ReplyDeleteI am a busy mom so mornings are busy. I start my days with a prayer and end my day in devotions or teaching videos, since I’ve discovered w2w I have been ending my day with it daily.
ReplyDelete