Have you ever been driving down the road and a few minutes later you wonder how you got to where you were? How did I actually make it through the traffic lights or stop signs? I know that I have. I drive the same path to work everyday of the week and since its such a repetitive path (and early in the morning), I tend to drive on autopilot. There have been a handful of times that I have gotten halfway to work and wondered, "Was that last light even green?"

I think a lot of Christians do just that in their relationship with God. We know He's always there Deut 31:8 because He promised us that He wouldn't leave us, but so many of us are walking in God's presence on autopilot. We're not really paying attention that God is at work all around us and wants to work with us and through us to bring us the many blessings that He has in store for us. Many of us get caught up in the traditions of church and lose the real meaning of what's going on. Singing along with the songs and not really paying attention to what God is trying to speak to us through those songs. Listening to the message that the pastor is speaking but not really hearing.

But just being aware isn't enough. You can be totally aware that your spouse is in the room, but not really engage in any activity that helps deepen your relationship with that spouse. We need to instead make a conscious effort to engage in that awareness. One time you might have a deep conversation with your wife, another time it may be just gently giving her a hug, but whatever it is, it's a conscious decision to respond to her presence. The same is true with our relationship with God, slow down and take a few minutes to really respond to God's presence. Get it in your heart that He is there, not just your head.

If we take time to get into God's presence and really think about how much He loves us and desires an intimate relationship with us, there are so many blessings that we open ourselves up to Joshua 1:8.