THE DAILYNESS OF SUMMIT MEETINGS

Excerpt from chapter "Summit meetings with God" from Leona's book-in-progress

Although God is eternal and outside of time constraints, He obviously decided to establish the daily cycle as the best way to run His Planet Earth. 

He set the Earth's rotation ordaining darkness and light to provide a rest and work cycle. We are unable to survive with just an occasional meal or a weekly nap. He fashioned our bodies with a need to eat daily and sleep nightly. He declared, “It is good.” 

God instructed certain daily sacrifices in the Old Testament to foreshadow things to come. In our book of songs and worship, the Psalms, the dailyness of our relationship with God is emphasized. “So I will sing praise to Thy name forever, that I may pay my vows day by day” (61:8). “I have called upon Thee every day, O Lord” (88:9). David wrote about declaring God's lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness by night (92:2).

As God provided manna in the wilderness daily for the people of Israel, so He daily provides “life and breath and everything” for me generously and not meagerly. David reminded us that God “...daily loads us with benefits...” (68:19). Jesus taught us to pray, “...give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). “And they [the apostles] continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house...” (Acts 2:46) followed that pattern closely.

Since everything in life runs by God's ordained daily cycle, if I neglect touching God daily in my summit meetings, I am out of God's perfect order. I may have a distant relationship with Him, but I am missing out on the marvelous privilege of intimacy with Him.

We live in an instant generation where fast is a virtue in everything from obtaining food to computer response time and immediate email communication through cyberspace. However, in spiritual matters there is no drive-through relationship with God. How long I spend in God's presence is not really the issue. I am instantly in the presence of God through the indwelling Christ, but my connection needs to be continuous not intermittent. If I want to hear from God, I have to take the time daily to know Him better so I'll recognize His voice.

Some years ago a perverted demonstration of fun was for someone without a stitch of clothing to run across a football field for attention—or to sprint stark naked down a city sidewalk. It was called “streaking.” If I halfheartedly bolt in and out of God's presence, am I not a “spiritual streaker”? I need to invest daily time in God's presence in order to have a fruitful relationship with Him. When I daily offer myself to God, my commitment and praise acceptably ascend to Him like incense from the altar of my heart. With my face uplifted to the Lord, I'm confident that all is well because come what may, my daily life is ordered by God. 

By and large, in my advanced years I have more discretionary time for summit meetings with God than I had in my career working years. “To whom much is given, of him shall much be required” (Luke 12:48). That potentially provides me with more daily time to wait upon the Lord for which I am accountable.