Holiday Time
I get excited by the anticipation of time away from alarms and deadlines.
Reference: I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 9:1 NIV)
Explore: There aren’t too many people who do not look forward to holidays. It is always nice to know that there is a break in the near future. However, there are some people who truly focus on up-and-coming holidays with all their heart.
These people count down to their next vacation and are committed to marking each day off on their calendar. Thanks to the over sharing nature of social media, there are even some who keep their friends updated daily with how many days until they head off on holidays!
All their spare change goes towards their holiday spending and all their spare time is spent trawling the Internet for activities they can engage in while they are away from work. A new vacation wardrobe is purchased and every conversation tends to find its way around to talking about the pending trip!
Application: You may not go quite to this extreme, but I know that I certainly look forward to a break from work. I get excited by the anticipation of time away from alarms and deadlines.
When I read in Psalm 9 that the writer gives thanks to the Lord with all his heart, it made me realise that it is easy for me to look forward to holidays with all my heart, but I don’t always give thanks to God with all my heart. The anticipation I have for taking a break is easily more focused upon than looking forward to connecting and praising God.
Don’t get me wrong, holidays are great, important and often well-needed, however, our God gives us purpose, loves us unconditionally, and fills a void that no grand holiday will even come close to fulfilling. The psalm is a challenge for me to be aware of how much my heart can yearn for things that fade away, therefore, I should focus my heart towards that which is eternal.
Prayer: Jesus, Your heart was always set on God. May we, too, learn to always bring our hearts desires in line with God and his purpose for us here on earth. Amen.
What has your heart been focused upon lately?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.