Bumper Stickers

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 few days ago I was making my way from Fort Worth to Arlington, trying to arrive a little early to the office to attend to some much-neglected paperwork.  As I gingerly navigated the traffic on Interstate 20, the day seemed to be progressing normally.  No accidents, no traffic jams, even the parking lot at the local doughnut shop was free of tangles!  Will miracles never cease?

In any event, as I continued my journey down Cooper Street toward UTA a car passed me.  I don’t remember the color or the make of the car.  I couldn’t tell you who was driving it and I don’t remember if the vehicle was remotely attractive.  The only thing I remember is the sticker proudly displayed on its bumper.  The message was simple yet convicting.  It simply asked, “Have you spent time with God today?” 

Now there is a question!  In the middle of traffic, on my way to hectic schedules, shuffled papers, and moving bodies, I was confronted with the most important question of the day.  Sadly, my answer to that question was no.  In my hurry to get moving and start my day, I had neglected the most important step, time alone with God.

The Scriptures are full of examples where great men and women of God spent time alone with Him in prayer.   But there is perhaps no greater example of this than Jesus himself.  In Luke 6:12 we find this example, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

Two elements of our walk with God are to be found in this simple statement.  First, we must get alone to talk to and listen to God.  Jesus took no one with him; he went away from everyone and everything.  There was to be nothing between him and his father, no interruptions, no knocks at the door, no conversation with anyone else, no guests of any kind, invited or uninvited.  This time was God’s time, a time for talking with God and for listening to Him.

Second, Jesus spent the entire night in prayer.  The conversation lasted hours, not minutes.  He took everything to God and spoke to Him in very intimate terms.  There was open communication, peace, joy, and wonderful communion.  It was a time of complete fellowship, fellowship that is hard to leave, fellowship that makes the rest of our existence mundane!

And this is something we all can and must do.  We must spend time alone with our Heavenly Father.  We must listen to His voice and we must spend time, quality time, in His presence.  Nothing else matters until we have spent time alone, in prayer and in listening to God.

Isn’t it amazing what a little bumper sticker can do?  Is the bumper sticker of your life encouraging others to spend time with God?  Is your witness such that it stands out in the crowd and brings attention, not to you, but only to your Heavenly Father?  Have you spent time with God today?  What will your answer be?