The Grace Street Blog

 Then He said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Exodus 3:5 (esv)

I officially completed my second day of my second semester of college. To get a glimpse of what my days have looked like, simply imagine planning. Planning my daily schedule, planning my weekly schedule. Planning my monthly schedule. And most thoughtfully planning my new years resolutions.

I know, the year has already begun and it is almost to that point of getting blank stares if you are still wishing people a happy new year. But in all honesty, when am I not late to something?

So as I sat in my dorm for these past two days, trying to put in order all of my syllabi to make sure I do not miss a day of homework or an assigned quiz, I decided to take a break and make a daily routine just for fun. This routine would include my new years resolutions that I am rather extremely determined to achieve, alongside any hobbies or activities I wanted to focus more on. This blog being one of those activities.

This routine included starting AND ending my day with God, working out, reading, writing, setting out more time for homework, and drinking a lot of tea.

I can’t really explain the tea besides the point that I love it and it saves me from spending every penny to my name on chai latte’s. But as for everything else, I specifically chose these for two reasons. I like to do them and they will help me lean more into God. Not to mention, they will set my body and mind in a good position to where I can be truly intentional in all of my actions as I stick to the allotted timeframe. Furthermore, they help me acquire the discipline skill…which some would argue I need lots of.

I was inspired to make this routine in this way after hearing the song Holy Ground by Passion. I highly recommend it. As the woman sang “let every burning heart be Holy Ground”, I immediately thought of the story of Moses.

Moses was a murderer, riddled with anxiety, but God saw more. As Moses witnessed a bush on fire, yet not burning up, the Bible says “Then He [God] said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’”

Chills. Absolute chills.

What a sight to see. Not just hearing the voice of the Lord, but to stand in His presence as He made this impossible event happen.

I just love this story so much because as I listened to the song and heard the woman say for “every burning heart” to be similar to what Moses witnessed, this “Holy Ground” became so much more real. I understand there will always be a certain distance between us and God, for we were meant to be with Him, not be Him. Nevertheless, the idea of our hearts, and I would say our bodies too, to be a form of this “Holy Ground” is what all Christian’s should pursue.

Not by works or anything that we can do on our own, but by drawing as near to God as we can. Letting every step, breath, and thought be lead by the Holy Spirit. When we live with this main goal, we become a heart that is impacted by God and live a life doing all things for God. We become a vessel of the Lord’s will.

We are given 24 hours in a day. That is a lot of time, even with subtracting 8 hours for sleep. So whatever you fill your gift (day) with, let it be for Christ. Who better to live for than the one who died for us?

I will list a few common things to include in your daily routine and elaborate on ways you can do it for the glory of God. These are not the only examples, simply the ones I know of or am going to implement in my own life.

– Morning/Night devotionals: direct time to sit and talk with God and grow in your knowledge about Him.

– Working out: maintains healthy temple for the Holy Spirit. Helps brain be more alert which is helpful before studying God’s Word.

– Reading: Intellectual growth as you read God’s Word or books that help you grow closer to God.

– Writing: Personally I like writing blogs to share Jesus, but even journaling about your thoughts and or new things you learned about God are perfect.

– Engaging in Social Activities: this is the best way to express God’s love to others. Loving them where they are and helping them with whatever they may need is obedience to Jesus’ commands.

There are many more but hopefully these can spark some ideas into your mind as you still have a chance to add to your new years resolutions. Let this year be a year of simply obedience and listening to God. Believe me, when you direct your focus on Him, He will help you come closer step by step, but it takes discipline and a true desire.

Will you step back and let God tell you what your takeaways from 2022 will be? Aim to bring chills to every person you encounter as they feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, this amazing “Holy Ground”, residing in you as the Father is at work in your life.