Joyful engagement or determined perseverance?

Last week, my entry in the blog was written in a spirit of joy and amazement at having received verses and songs from God that really touched my heart.  This week I am writing from a spirit of perseverance.  I don't often receive specific thoughts that I feel are from God during my devotional time.  When I do, that makes it so easy to come to that time the next day, expecting that I will be touched by God again.  But when I skip my devotions or come away from them not feeling as though I had "connected", I feel like my heart toughens up a bit and I find myself not expecting to hear from God...then it's definitely a case of self-fulfilling prophecy.

That's where I was this morning...  But I remind myself of the old bumper sticker:  "If you feel far from God, guess who moved?"  I know God is always there, regardless of what my "feelings" tell me.  I know it is sin that makes me reluctant to engage my heart.  So, tomorrow I will spend more time in adoration and confession, and see if I can tenderize my tough heart.  Singing the hymns is the best way for me to do that.  Then I will remind myself of Romans 8:26--"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."  And I will trust in that--that the Spirit will help me pray and get "reconnected".   I'm feeling more joyful already!