Good morning, Father! Though my bed was calling for me to stay, it will benefit me much more to heed Your call to come and spend some time with You. Time in bed would only benefit me for the here-and-now, where my time with You could very easily have benefits for all eternity.
Lord, it has been a few days since have I joined You here and I feel compelled to read from The Valley of Vision this morning. Here is a portion of today’s reading.
Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life,
from everything that is natural to fallen man,
and let Christ’s nature be seen in me day by day.
Grant me grace to bear thy will without repining*, and delight to be
not only chiseled, squared or fashioned,
but separated from the old rock where I have been imbedded so long,
and lifted from the quarry to the upper air,
where I may be built in Christ forever.
*feeling or expressing discontent; fretting
Lord, I would stand in agreement with the author who penned these words. It is so easy to just “go with the flow.” It’s the path of least resistance. We just float along, no resistance, just like everyone else. It reminds me of those “lazy rivers” at water parks. I just get in my tube and drift away down the flow – nice and easy. No frets, no worries…just… life.
But the thing is, life is not just a lukewarm life of ease. When the “ride” is over we don’t just get out of our tube and that’s it. If we don’t allow our course to be changed the “river” will lead us to a precipice to plunge off the falls into the bottomless abyss of eternal separation from You.
Just because it’s easy – just because everyone else is doing it – doesn’t mean it’s the best choice. In fact, it’s the worst choice possible!
Lord, may I pray with the Puritan author “save me” from the love of the world… from everything that is natural to fallen man. May I not pursue ease and acceptance but may I be caught by You to be what I was made to be – Your child – in Your image. Eradicate, Lord, the sinful nature with which I was born and may Your “nature be seen in me day by day.” Amen!
Dec 26th, Mon, 4:30 am
