When Life Is Good

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. - Psalm 95:1-3

Over the weekend I went to visit my parents, and my dad gave me some great advice that I thought was worth sharing. We were talking about my writing and these daily devotions, and how a lot of my content is geared towards helping people navigate the tough and unexpected circumstances in life. As we were talking, my dad said, "Kristen, I think it's great that you're writing to teach people how to stay close to God in the valley, but it's just as important that we stay close to Him when we're on the mountaintop." 

As usual, my dad was right. Yes we would should not shrink back from God or distance ourselves from Him when life gets difficult. But we also shouldn't put our relationship with God on the back burner when things are going well because we're under the impression that we have everything under control. 

I can tell you for a fact that most of the times in my life when I've felt distant from God have come right on the heels of some of the best times of my life. 

When things are going well, it's easy to downplay your need for God's help. When you're thriving in your job and there's more money in your bank account than normal, it's easy to forget how reliant you are on God's provision. When that long-time prayer finally gets answered, it's easy to push prayer lower on the priority list. 

So friend, let me encourage you. While it's true that God is an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1), He's so much more than that. He is the source of all of our joy. He is the Giver of good gifts. He is our Provider. He is our Counselor. He is our Guide. He is our cheerleader, and He is our Father. Because of all that He is, we should draw near to Him not only when life is tough, but also when life is good. We should pray to Him whether we have desire to requests or thanks to give. We should prioritize spending time with Him whether we're hanging on by a thread or we're on top of the world. 

There will always be mountains and valleys along our paths on this side of heaven. Our circumstances are constantly going to change. But the one thing that shouldn't change is our devotion to our Heavenly Father.