You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! – Isaiah 26:3 NLT

Let’s all take a second to evaluate our spiritual lives together. How is your devotional time going? How was your quiet time this past week? Did you carve out any time at all for the Lord in your life? I don’t just mean going to church or Bible study with friends. Did you take the time to actually sit and read His Word? Did you apply it to your life or pray? Did you say, “Lord, help me to love Your Word as You want me to?”  Did you make time for that?  You might say, “Cathe, it was a really busy week…and I had a tough time fitting it in. I had exams. I had to run my kids from soccer practice and then straight to cheer practice. I have a demanding job, and when I finally get off of work, I am just exhausted.” Let me tell you this: life is busy for everyone. We can all choose to fill our schedules full to the brim. But if you will put God first in your life, He will make room for all of those other things that are important. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but what we do with them will determine the course of our lives—either in a positive or negative way.

There is a story of Queen Elizabeth, who had a mission for one of her subjects.  She went to this man and asked him to do something for her. He said to her, “I would love to do this for you, but I am too busy with my affairs. I have a business to run, and I don’t have time to do this thing you are asking me to do.”  Her answer to him was this: “Sir, if you will take care of my business, I will take care of yours.” She had the power to do that.

And guess what? Jesus has the power to do that in your life, too. If you will put Him first—make the time, make Him a priority, He will take care of all of the details of your life. You don’t have to run around aimlessly, searching for purpose or meaning. Those things are only found at the feet of Jesus, and until you’re willing to slow down and stoop down, you will search for meaning the rest of your life.

It’s a loud world out there, and it’s constantly begging for your attention. “Buy this, wear this, drive this,” it says. “Be here, go there, make sure to check in on social media so everyone sees what you’re doing!” This is the pressure of our culture. A false importance, glorified busyness. I know it seems foreign to make “quiet time” a priority in such a loud world, but it’s not just a recommendation, it’s a requirement.

If you want to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, you have to spend time with Him.

In order to hear Him talk, you have to shut out all of the other voices fighting for your ear. Turn off that TV and fill yourself with God’s Word instead. News flash: it’s more current and up to date than anything you could watch on a screen anyway. It’s always relevant.

I dare you to make time with the Lord today, and I will even go as far as to guarantee you it will change your life. Little by little, you will notice you’re not so rushed anymore—He will keep your heart at peace, even in the midst of your busy life.