Come Simply; Simply Come.

It was morning. I sat with my Bible, a notebook, and my two favorite devotional books. My habit was to read the devotions and then read my predetermined chapters in my Bible. Like clockwork.

I am a to-do-list type of girl. I am a rule follower. An unfinished list or a broken rule can throw me into a tailspin in no time flat. It was no different when it came to my quiet-time with the Lord. Lists and rules.

After reading the devotions, I sat quietly for a minute. I heard these words inside my spirit, “Come simply; simply come.”

The stillness had given the Lord time to gently have His say in the matter. I heard it again. “Come simply; simply come.” Tears burned my eyes. I had made things complicated. And rigid. And boring. I imagine the Lord was as bored as I. All He wanted me to do was to spend time with Him.

I laid aside my agenda and spent some time talking to the Lord and listening. I remembered the song we sang at the end of every church service when I was a child, “Just As I Am.” The last line in the song kept replaying in my mind, “I come. I come.”

When we come to the Lord for the first time, we are told to come just as we are. No pretense. But as the years passed, I came to Him with a religious routine instead of enjoying a loving time of fellowship.

All structure is not bad. I’ve continued to use devotional books and Bible reading plans, but I am also open to laying them aside and allowing Him to speak to me or lead me to an unplanned scripture. To-do-lists can wait for another day. The earth still keeps spinning and my relationship with the Lord is fresh and sweet.