There are mornings when I feel especially close to God. This particular morning was one of them. My quiet time was as close to God as I think I can get this side of heaven. His presence felt tangible. Worship filled my cup until it seemed the vessel itself was growing. Prayer wasn't simply a list of requests; it was a conversation. I poured out my heart, and through the verses He led me to that morning, I felt Him speaking directly into the deepest places of my soul.

I felt like God was right beside me. My heart was full. I carried that fullness with me throughout the morning, praising Him, talking to Him, enjoying that beautiful sense of connection. It was one of those mornings I knew I would never forget.

Want to know what ended that sweet, glorious morning? A car pulled out in front of me. It sped away. I barely had to brake. Nothing happened. It was a minor interruption in an otherwise beautiful morning. And without even thinking, I called the driver a big, fat dummy head. Yep. There I was, feeling wonderfully connected to Jesus one minute and demonstrating my very impressive spiritual maturity the next.

Ugh. Sometimes my humanity stinks. It would be easy to say that in that moment I lost my connection with God. But really, that’s not what happened. God didn't leave. I simply stopped looking at Him. Peter understood something about that. When Jesus called him out of the boat, Peter walked on water. He was doing the impossible because his eyes were on Jesus. But then he noticed the wind and the waves. His focus shifted, and he began to sink. It didn't take much, just a change in focus.

I think we do the same thing. Sometimes it takes a tragedy or a crisis to distract us. Other times, it's a driver who pulls out in front of us. The interruption may be small, but our response can reveal how quickly we stop looking at Jesus. “And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’”

God goes on to tell Israel that He will act for the sake of His holy name so that the nations will know that He is the Lord. (Ezekiel 36:20–23)…. READ MORE….