Have you ever been in a place where you feel like life is just too hectic? Whether it’s school, university, your job or something else, life can get to all of us. It can feel so heavy to the point where you feel like you don’t even have a second to take a break or even breathe. The days are flying by and you look back and realise that you haven’t spent any time with God. It starts with a day but quickly turns into a week or even a month. This realisation can often be followed by feelings of guilt and shame that make us feel like we’re a “bad Christian”. We’ve all been through it, but instead of you allowing the guilt and shame to consume you, just stop and speak to God exactly where you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re at work, driving, cooking, or even in a meeting; take just three seconds, say “God I acknowledge your presence in this place” or “God, help me to become more aware of your presence around me”. What determines how much of God we experience in our lives depends on our awareness of Him being with us and our awareness who He is. Miracles happen when we become aware of God’s presence and power all around us. He is no more or less powerful than He was 5 days, years or centuries ago; He is still the same God.

Even in the middle of those busy and chaotic times in your life, you can still feel God’s presence in what you are going through if you just invite him into the situation.

John 2: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

Mary just told Jesus about what was going on, she didn’t even ask him to do anything, but He knew her intentions. She informed him to involve him. That is what we do when we pray, Sometimes, life is just so overwhelming and we don’t know what we need, or what to ask for, that’s okay. Just talk to him and tell him what is going on and offload onto him.

We don’t always need to spend 1 hour or 2 hours in the morning in a quiet room, giving God our undivided attention. Don’t get me wrong, those moments are life-changing and very important, but sometimes we don’t have that amount of time to give no matter how much we want to, and it’s okay. God sees your sacrifice. God doesn’t love you any less and He isn’t angry at you. If 5 minutes or a couple of seconds a day is all you have, it’s enough. That fact that you choose to give those seconds to God and to acknowledge Him, God is pleased with you. God sees the 5 seconds spare that you have, as just as big a sacrifice as the person who is on their face for 5 hours a day. Why? Because He knows you’re giving Him all you have and that’s all that matters. For example, in 1 Kings 17, there was a widow who had nothing to give. She didn’t even have enough food to sustain herself and her son, she only had enough to feed them both one more time and then that would be it. However, Elijah, a prophet a God, asked her to use the little she had left to feed him first, and she did. After the woman fed Elijah, God multiplied what she had to the point where she had so much oil, that she could sell it to pay off her debt. How many of us have been in a situation like this woman and feel like we don’t even have enough time or strength to sustain ourselves, let alone find time for God. God is teaching us through this woman’s story, that even when we feel like we have nothing to give, still prioritise God with the little, because you will never leave his presence empty-handed. Obedience is always linked to a great move of God, and maybe God is waiting on your obedience to move in your life.  

1 Kings 17:15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So, there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

Jesus knows what it’s like to be human, to be busy and be pulled in so many different directions all at once; He experienced it many times. One time, in particular, Jesus was on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter when He got pulled in another direction before He had even reach Jairus’ house. A woman forced her way through the crowd and stopped Him on His way so that she could get her healing, and Jesus stopped for her. Luke 8: 41 – 56 NKJV. Jesus gets it and He appreciates the effort we put into trying to balance our lives and still give Him His place in it all. Jesus appreciates your sacrifice, it may seem small to you, but it’s big to Him.

Prayer:

Father, I pray that you will help me to always give you the seconds in my day and to never belittle my sacrifice or compare myself to the people who have more to give. I pray that I will always give you our best, and prioritise you in my life.

Amen