In step

[RiverOL]

A Crucial Element

Acts 17:16-34

"... but now [God] commands all people everywhere to repent." (v. 30)

There are, of course, many reasons why some people move along the path of discipleship at a snail's pace, while others appear to cover twice the distance in half the time. It has much to do with the way we enter the Christian life.

Those who have studied the manner in which people become Christians tell us there are two main ways of coming to faith in Christ. One is through a dramatic conversion, whereby a person confronted with the claims of Christ yields to Him in a single moment. The other is when a person moves more slowly into faith, and sometimes cannot even pinpoint the exact moment when he or she made the great surrender.

What must be remembered is that both experiences are valid. The best evidence that we are alive is not our birth certificate but the fact we are going about our daily lives as living, breathing people.

I myself find no problem when individuals say they do not know the day or hour when they committed themselves to Christ, providing they show evidence that they belong to Him by such proofs as a desire to be alone with Him in prayer, a longing to know Him better through His Word, and an eagerness to meet and have fellowship with other believers.

But no matter how one enters the Christian life -- suddenly or slowly -- the most essential element is repentance. I have no hesitation in saying that if we do not understand what is involved in living repentant lives, then regardless of how we start the Christian life there will be no successful continuance.

Prayer:
My Father and my God, if repentance is so important -- and I see that it is -- then help me understand it more deeply. I am at Your feet. Teach me, dear Lord. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

A Change of Mind

2 Timothy 1:1-12

"... your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice ..." (v. 5)

Yesterday we said that there are two types of entry into the Christian life -- sudden and gradual. Paul the apostle had one of the most sudden and dramatic conversions in Christian history, yet Paul's disciple Timothy does not seem to have had a similar experience.

We cannot tell for sure, but Timothy's coming to faith, a process apparently greatly influenced by his grandmother and mother, seems to have been much more prolonged. We said also (and some may have found this surprising) that without a clear understanding of repentance, and all that it entails, there can be no successful continuance in the Christian life. So what is repentance and why is it vitally important?

The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, means "a change of mind." But a change of mind about what? About where life is found. Prior to coming to Christ our minds are shot through with the idea that life depends on such things as self-sufficiency, self-management, and ego-building.

The Bible confronts this self-centered approach to living and says that for our lives to work the way God designed them, the ego must be marginal and not central. In other words, Christ must be central, and the ego revolves around Him just as the planets revolve around the sun.

This is quite a radical thought for any mind to grapple with, but be sure of this -- if there is no acceptance of it, the soul will not go on to experience a deep and developing relationship with God. No change of mind about where life is to be found -- no spiritual progress. It is as simple as that.

Prayer:
O Father, help me examine my heart and decide just who is central in my life -- You or me. Show me even more clearly how I can be more Christ-centered and less ego-centered. In the Name of Your Son I ask it. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

How Kind of God

Romans 2

"... not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" (v. 4)

One of the places where Christianity parts company with modern-day psychology is over the matter of our ego. The ego is that part of us which contains our sense of individuality -- our self-esteem. Secular psychology says the stronger our ego and the more central it is, the better equipped we are to handle life and to live it to the full.

Christianity sees the ego as important and does not (as some critics might suggest) seek to demolish it; rather, it puts it in its proper place -- at the feet of Christ.

On August 12, 1973, Charles Colson, President Nixon's right-hand man, was feeling deeply disturbed by the events in which he was involved. He went to see a friend who read to him from C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity.

Later that evening, he began to sob so deeply that he became quite alarmed. He realized that something spiritual was happening to him and cried out to God: "Take me, take me." That night was the beginning of the period during which this strong, ego-centered man found a new focus for his life -- the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is what repentance is all about: it is a change of mind as to where life is to be found -- brought about in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. Real life is not to be found in the pursuit of self-centered goals, but in living out God's will and purposes for one's life. Charles Colson is one of Christ's most powerful modern disciples. He appears to have continued the way he began -- with a mindset that puts Christ first and himself second.

Prayer:
O God, may I have this same mindset too-- a mindset that puts Your will ahead of my own. Teach me more of what is involved in the act of repentance for I see that without an understanding of it I can make no real spiritual progress. In Christ's Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Jesus Christ Is Lord

Matthew 4:12-25

"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'" (v. 17)

There is a strange lack of emphasis on repentance in many parts of the church today. Our text tells us that our Lord's very first sermons in His preaching ministry was "Repent." We see from other passages in the Gospels that He stresses this message again and again.

Peter took up this same theme on the Day of Pentecost, in the first sermon he ever preached (Acts 2:38). Indeed, the word repentance appears in one form or another throughout the whole of the New Testament.

Why, then, is repentance such a missing factor (generally speaking) in contemporary Christianity? Is it because in our anxiety to get more converts we avoid the subject of repentance and prefer the quick sales job of getting people to pray the kind of prayer that requires no radical transformation?

Once I heard an evangelist tell his converts: "Pray this prayer after me, and you will have a mansion in heaven ... perhaps even have charge of ten cities when Christ returns to this earth to establish His kingdom."

The prayer he then invited them to pray went something like this: "O God, make me a Christian ... and grant that I might inherit all that is available to me in Christ." What bothered me about the prayer was not that it was invalid but that it was not based on first principles.

The primary thing we have to understand on entering the Christian life is that Jesus Christ is Lord. That means we are no longer lord over our lives -- He is. Happy are those who enter the Christian life with this clear understanding.

Prayer:
O God, help me put first things first. I see that successful Christian living depends on You being first and me being second. Am I really ready and willing for this? Help me search my soul. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Flightless Butterflies

Acts 26

"... I preached that they should repent and ... prove their repentance by their deeds." (v. 20)

Some evangelists asked me: "Why don't we see more of the kind of converts coming into today's church that we used to get a few decades ago -- those who from the very start seem 'out and out' for Jesus?" I replied that I thought it had something to do with the way we present the truths of Christianity to potential converts, and I told them the story I heard John White, a Christian psychiatrist, tell.

A butterfly, struggling to get out of its chrysalis, was given a helping hand by a well-meaning observer. As a result, however, the butterfly was unable to fly because it is in the struggle to emerge that it develops the strength to soar.

The observer, intent on making it easy for the butterfly to leave the chrysalis, inadvertently contributed to its early demise. We do something similar when we help people avoid the struggle that radical repentance invariably brings. The modern-day church (with some exceptions) is like an inexpert midwife bringing damaged children into the world -- damaged by lack of attention to basic principles.

To return to the metaphor of the butterfly, in the church today there are many butterflies unable to fly because when they emerged from their spiritual chrysalis someone made it easier for them than they should have.

We can do that by wrong statements or incomplete statements or even by a misplaced emphasis. Evangelism is making it easy for men and women to be saved, but we must be careful that we do not make it easier than it should be.

Prayer:
O Father, stir us as Your church to put the emphasis where You put it -- on the lordship of Christ and the need for complete and utter surrender to Him in the very first moments of conversion. In Christ's Name we pray. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Agreeing with God

Isaiah 30:12-21

"In repentance and rest is your salvation ..." (v. 15)

A definition of repentance I once heard someone use and which I like very much is this: "Repentance is agreeing with God." When we repent, we adopt the attitude that God is right and we are wrong. When you think about it, there is very little point in disagreeing with God over anything because being God, He is always right.

So many problems people have brought to me during the years I have been involved in Christian counseling were rooted in a difficulty they had in their relationship with God.

Time and again I have heard people say things such as: "But God can't really expect that of me." " Isn't God being too hard on me in wanting me to yield to Him on this?" "Sometimes God seems to forget that we are human." What underlies all these statements? A difficulty in believing that God is right in everything He says and does.


This is why whenever I hear such statements I ask people to tell me something about how they entered the Christian life. Almost always I find that they never underwent a radical repentance when they first became Christians.

Because they never knew what it was to agree with God (that is, fully repent) when they first came into the Christian life, subsequently they seemed to want to argue with Him (or at least raise objections) over any issue that appeared to threaten their self-centeredness.

Our wills have to capitulate to God's will if we are to develop a deep relationship with the Almighty. And the best moment to understand this is at the moment of conversion.

Prayer:
Father, forgive me if my response to Your challenge is one of resistance and argumentation. If my ego is not at Your feet then help me put it there today. For the sake of Your Son who gave His life for me. In His Name I pray. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Failure to "Feel" Saved

2 Corinthians 7

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret ..." (v. 10)

Sometimes I am asked: "If a person does not undergo a radical repentance at the time they turn to Christ, does that mean they are not converted and will not go to heaven when they die?" My answer is usually along this line: "It is better if a person experiences a radical repentance at the time of their initial commitment to Christ, as this sets the tilt of the soul in the direction of agreeing with God.

But God will come in and live in a person's life by invitation, even though the repentance is not as complete as it should be."

The advantage of a radical repentance at the time of one's commitment to Christ is, as I have said, that it bends the ego in God's direction and teaches it right from the start that submission is essential.

A major reason for lack of spiritual assurance (people who have committed themselves to Christ not feeling saved) is this issue of incomplete repentance. When repentance is incomplete and there is no "godly sorrow" over sin, the effects of sin (guilt and shame) are not eliminated from the soul. Radical conversion siphons off these things and leaves the soul feeling free. It ensures there are no regrets, no hankering for former things.

To change the metaphor, if the soul is not plowed up by radical repentance, the seeds sown by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God will not take deep root. Those who have never fully repented ought to do so now -- without delay. Take time this day to evaluate your spiritual condition. Make Christ Lord.

Prayer:
O God, help me not to move beyond this day without clarifying my spiritual commitment. Am I first in my life, or are You? May I know the godly sorrow that leads to deep repentance. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

 

[RiverOL]

The First and Last Word

Hosea 14

"... for in you the fatherless find compassion." (v. 3)

Repentance is commonly thought of as simply an acknowledgment and confession of sin.

But the repentance God desires of us is not only contrition for particular sins; it is a daily attitude, an ongoing perspective. Martin Luther started the Reformation when he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle church at Wittenburg, and the very first of his statements read thus: "When our Lord Jesus Christ said 'repent' He willed that the entire life of believers be one of repentance."

Note that -- "the entire life of believers." Repentance is not a one-time act, it is a process -- the process by which we see ourselves day by day as we really are: sinful, needy, dependent people.

It is the process by which we see God as He is: awesome, majestic and holy. Repentance is the ultimate surrender of self. The call to repentance is one of the most consistent themes of the Bible. We must be aware that no matter how radical our repentance at conversion, sinful tendencies remain in varying degrees.

Constantly we need to recognize that our carnal nature may surface at any time to disagree with God. We will never be able in move into a deep relationship with God unless we maintain an attitude of repentance.

"Every bit of growth in the Christian life," said one theologian, "is based on the re-enactment of the original redemptive occurrence." By that he meant that the way we came into the Christian life is the way we continue in it -- by repentance. Repentance is the first word of the gospel -- and the last.

Prayer:
Thank You, Father, for spelling out for me the truth that repentance is not merely an act but an attitude. From now on and by Your grace may this forever be the attitude of my soul. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Amazing!

Romans 5:12-21

"... how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace ... reign in life ..." (v. 17)


If we are to go deeper with God, we need to know how to avail ourselves of God's grace. Our text for today talks about "those who receive God's abundant provision of grace." Though God's grace may be abundant, it is only effective in our lives if it is received. But what do we mean by "grace"? Grace is spoken of in both the Old and New Testaments, and the root meaning of the word is that of kindness and favor.

In the New Testament it is used chiefly in connection with God's undeserved mercy in redeeming humankind. Grace, as undeserved favor, is a term still used in business -- especially the world of insurance.

Sometimes a representative of a firm will write to a client and say something like this: "In the circumstances you have no claim, we will give you a certain sum as an act of grace." They acknowledge no indebtedness, but out of their kindness (and in hope of business to come) they give the client something to which he has no legal right.

A definition of grace I like very much is this: "Grace is the strength God gives us to obey His commands." Grace is not just a kindly attitude but an impartation of power too.

We can be sure that the people who seem to know God in a much deeper way than we do have received more of that power which God imparts "unmerited and free." It is by grace that they leap over all the impediments on their onward way. Grace truly is amazing!

Prayer:
O Father, how can I thank You enough that just as the atmosphere wraps itself around my body so Your grace wraps itself around my soul. May I respond to Your grace as my physical body responds to the atmosphere -- and lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Always More to Follow

James 4

"'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" (v. 6)

Why have some Christians received more grace? If, as we said, grace is undeserved favor, does that mean God has favorites? Is there something capricious about the Almighty's allocation of help to His children? Some secular writers have portrayed God as being like men and women, biased in His affections and having an inexplicable preference for one person and disinterest in another. But surely God does not take "a fancy" to some people and not others.

There is favor to be found in God, but no favoritism. His favor moves to all who are willing and eager to receive it. But to return to our question: Why do some receive more grace than others? I think the main reason must be this -- they know that there is grace to be had. Sometimes I come across Christians who think that God's only concern is to get us on to the pilgrim way and that He then leaves us to our own devices.

You can tell such people by the way they talk about their conversion -- and nothing more. They seem unconcerned about the fact that God's great aim is not simply to bring us into the Christian life but to develop us in it. He is not content with calling us "saints" but making us saints; not simply cancelling sin but breaking its power over us.

Those who use God's grace are those who know He has plenty to give. Of this they are confident, and thus they keep it in mind all the time. When they have used what they have, they know there is always more to follow.

Prayer:
O Father, what a comfort it is to know that however much I draw on Your grace there is always more to follow. I cannot draw heavily on many things but I can draw heavily on You. May this be more than an idea; may it be a fact. In Christ's Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

A Throne of Grace

Hebrews 4

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may ... find grace ..." (v. 16)

We are seeing that one reason some Christians develop a closer relationship with God is because they know how to avail themselves of His grace. They realize it is there to be had and they open themselves to it most eagerly. People who know God intimately view grace as a treasure above all treasures.

It is not that they put no value on the things of earth, but they see grace as the most precious thing of all. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, had a friend called Fletcher of Madeley -- a deeply spiritual man -- whom Wesley designated as his successor.

He died before Wesley, however, and at his funeral Wesley took as his text Psalm 37:37: "Mark the perfect man (KJV)." He told of how on one occasion Fletcher had made a public utterance concerning the government of the day which had greatly impressed its leaders.

Soon after the Lord Chancellor dispatched a representative to Fletcher's home to offer him a promotion. The official was at some pains to hint delicately at his errand and said: "The government would be very happy to ... er ... oblige in any way if ... er ... there was anything Mr. Fletcher wanted ..." "How very kind," was the great man's reply, "but I want nothing ... except more grace."

That is the difference between those who know God deeply and those who don't.
They look at the values of earth in the light of heaven and see that the only really valuable thing is -- grace. "Let me have that," they say, "and I am content."

Prayer:
O God, help me look at the values of earth in the light of heaven. Show me the folly of accumulating riches, the absurdity of heaping together the treasures of earth. May I come to recognize what has the highest value of all -- Your matchless grace. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Effective Service

1 Corinthians 15

"... I worked harder than all of them -- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." (v. 10)

We considered yesterday the story of Fletcher of Madeley who said to a government official: "I want nothing ... except more grace." One wonders what account the official gave when he returned to the Lord Chancellor.

"Nothing we can offer seems to attract him. The only thing he wants is more grace!" Dr. W. E. Sangster, in The Pure in Heart, said that all who know God deeply have a high view of grace. They have learned to look at all the values of earth in the light of heaven.

They have seen how absurd it is to put their trust in riches, the meaninglessness of angling for applause, credits and titles, and they have come to the conclusion that the only really valuable thing in life is grace.

Few will argue with the fact that the apostle Paul was one of the greatest Christians who has ever lived, and so it is interesting to note from today's passage that he labored for God not in his own strength but in the strength God gave him. The grace of God is essential not only to live a holy life but to live a helpful one also.

The best way to serve others is to reach out to them in the strength that God gives to us. This is the point the great apostle is making. "I worked harder ... yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." The work of Christ must be done by Christ Himself for no one else can do it. He who lives in us must labor through us.

Prayer:
O God, how foolish I am to try to labor for You in my own strength. In spurning the grace You provide I do myself and others a disservice. And more -- grieve Your heart. Forgive me dear Father and make me a more reliant person. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

A Christ Not in Us...

Galatians 2:11-21

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (v. 20)

We saw yesterday that the apostle Paul claimed his labors were energized by the grace given to him by God. He says something similar in the text before us today: "I no longer live ... Christ lives in me." The apostle had learned that it was not enough to give all of his strength to the work of Christ, though he certainly did that; he had to receive Christ's strength in order to do His work. I have seen Christians suffer a breakdown as a result of trying to live the Christian life in their own strength.

On one occasion I was present at a dinner given in honor of a certain bishop. During the after-dinner speeches I heard a layman make a terrible blunder when he declared: "Bishop, we are both doing God's work; you in your way, and I in His." Question yourself at this very moment and ask: Am I doing God's work in my own way or in His?

"A Christ not in us, imparting His grace to us," said the great preacher William Law, "is the same as a Christ not ours." I don?t know about you but I find those words terribly challenging. Is this why so many of us fail to go as deeply with God as we ought?

We have received Christ but we do not allow Him to diffuse Himself through all our faculties, to animate us with His life and Spirit. Let William Law's words strike deep into your soul: "A Christ not in us, imparting His grace ... is the same as a Christ not ours."

Prayer:
Gracious and loving Father, your challenges are my salvation. You wound in order to win me. Help me to take my medicine without complaining and open myself up to all that You are saying to me in the words I have read today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Grace upon Grace

John 1

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." (v. 16)

The Amplified Bible translates today's verse thus: "For out of His fullness (abundance) we all received -- all had a share and we were all supplied with -- one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift."

I love the phrase "one grace after another." The thought contained in the original text is of grace succeeding grace. Our capacity to receive grace at any level depends on our use of it at the lowest level.

Refuse God's grace at one level of your life and you make it difficult to receive it at another level. We must use the present proffered grace to be granted the grace which succeeds it. One preacher said: "I remember when I sat for my first scholarship. I recall going to my professor and saying: 'What will I do when I have used the paper up?'

He laughed. 'You needn't worry about that,' he said. 'When you have used all you have, just ask for more.' Much relieved I added: 'Will he give me all I want?' 'No,' replied the professor, 'but he will give you all you can use.'"

God is eager to give His grace to every one of us, and there is so much of it. Grace is flowing like a river Millions there have been supplied ... But it mustn't be wasted. You can have all you are able to use, but to have more you must use what you have. How good are you at using God's grace?

Prayer:
My Father and my God, show me how to use Your grace -- really use it. Help me to throw myself on You, to be less self-reliant and more God-reliant. I need to understand this even more, dear Lord. Please help me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Moving off the Sandbank

Galatians 5

"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?" (v. 7)

As you read the words of our text today, do you not sense the disappointment the apostle Paul felt over some of the Galatians? "You were running a good race."

You were! Ah, there's the problem. They started well but they had been sidetracked. Might the Savior say as much to you and me? We were keen once. We were responding to grace. It came in like the waves of the sea -- grace succeeding grace -- and we allowed ourselves to be carried along by it.

Then the time came when God led us to some new task or act of surrender, and we sheered away. When we refused the task we refused also the grace. That's when we ran on to the sandbank.

People who started after us have swept past us, not because they are specially favored but because they use all the grace God provides. It's no good putting our lack of keenness down to age or impediments. Before you go to sleep tonight, get alone and be quiet with God. Review your life in God's light. Ask yourself: Where did I fall out of the race? Invite God to show you the place where you drew back.

When He does, repent of your unwillingness to use His grace (there will be grace available for you to face up to this) and tell Him you want to be back in the race again, pacing forward spiritually, along with the most ardent souls you know. It will delight God and make the angels sing. "Look," they will say, "he (or she) is moving again. And with speed. Hallelujah!"

Prayer:
O God, may this day be a turning point in my spiritual progress. Help me take this truth to heart that when I refuse Your challenge I refuse the grace that goes along with it. Today I move off the sandbank. By grace. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Two Extremes

Psalms 68:11-20

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (v. 19)

The next thing we must do if we are to go deeper with God is to spend time with Him. This means taking time to regularly read His Word, talk to Him in prayer, and cultivate the spiritual sensitivity to listen for His voice speaking directly to our souls.

One of the great tragedies of our day is that spiritual leaders fail to emphasize the need for all Christians to regularly spend time with God in this way. In my opinion, this de-emphasis is due to two things in particular. First, it is a reaction to the legalism of past days.

At one time, most Christians were told that the life of discipleship turned on whether or not you established a daily quiet time and never wavered from it. In my youth I heard one Bible teacher say: "If you don't begin every day by reading a chapter of the Bible and spending at least thirty minutes in prayer then you have no right to go into the day expecting God to bless it."

What about those times when circumstances -- such as sleeping late, a family emergency, personal sickness, an unexpected turn of events -- make it impossible to begin the day with the reading of Scripture or a time of prayer?

In turning from the legalism of past days many, however, have replaced it with a more casual approach to personal devotions. If they don't feel like it they don't have a quiet time. And that, I suggest, is as harmful as the legalism from which they might have turned away.

Prayer:
O God, if, as Your Word says, You daily bear my burdens, is not this worth a daily response of prayer and praise? I may not be able to spend much time with You every day, but I can spend some time. Help me never to forget this. In Christ's Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Our Lord's Two "Customs"

Luke 4:14-30

"... on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom." (v. 16)

One reason there is a casual approach to personal devotions in the Christian church today is a reaction to the legalism of past days. Another reason is the rise of the charismatic movement.

In the early days of the charismatic renewal, many of its leaders from the historic denominations who had been fed on a diet of legalism began to emphasize (quite rightly) the joy of knowing Christ's presence through the indwelling Spirit every hour of the day. People in charismatic services often said: "Now I don't have to have a daily quiet time in order to feel God's presence. Every waking minute is a quiet time."

Dangerous stuff. The danger lies not in emphasizing that we are in Christ's presence every hour of the day but the de-emphasis on closeting oneself alone with Him in personal prayer and study of His Word.

Although most leaders of the charismatic renewal did not teach or encourage people to dispense with their personal times of devotion with the Lord, many came to believe they could get through the day simply by speaking in tongues. Nothing must become a substitute for those private and personal moments we spend in prayer and communion with Christ.

Our Lord knew and sensed the presence of God with Him and in Him to a degree we will never fully experience here on this earth, but it is said of Him in Scripture that He had two "customs." One custom was to go regularly to the house of God; the other was to pray regularly. And these must be our customs too.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, if You needed to spend time closeted with Your Father in personal prayer, then how much more do I need to also. Help me steer a middle course between legalism and casualness. For Your own dear Name's sake. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

The Profit of Passion

Psalms 34

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me ..." (v. 4)

The more time we spend with our families and friends the better we get to know them. It is the same with God too. Often I am asked to give a plan on how to conduct a quiet time. Here is one I used to give people many years ago. Decide on the amount of time you can spend, preferably in the morning.

The morning is best because it tunes your soul for the day. Having fixed the time, stick to it. Take your Bible and a notebook and read a portion slowly. Let it soak in. Make a note of anything that comes to you.

Pray then, mentioning any requests or personal petitions you may have. Then relax and listen to see if God has something to say to you. It is far easier to talk than listen, so don?t worry if for some weeks or months nothing comes. Tuning in to God takes time and practice.

Nowadays I am reluctant to give people that plan without pointing out the danger of depending on a structure rather than the direction of the Holy Spirit. We would all prefer to go into a quiet time with a plan rather than to abandon ourselves to the Holy Spirit and wait upon Him.

Mature Christians should be able to closet themselves alone with God and on occasions simply enjoy His company and presence without even saying a word.
The quiet time becomes more effective when we approach it with passion instead of a plan. Good marriages thrive on spontaneity and passion. So does a relationship with the Lord.

Prayer:
Father, help me come to my quiet time with expectancy -- expectancy that my weakness shall become strength, my doubt become faith, and my passion become stronger. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

A Father and a Friend

Luke 11

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find ..." (v. 9)

The great danger of a quiet time is that we will use it as an opportunity to petition God rather than to know Him and be known by Him. I thought back to a statement I remember reading in C. S. Lewis's book, Prayer: Letters to Malcolm, to the effect that the older he got the less involved he became in petitionary prayer.

"The strange thing is," said Lewis (and I am paraphrasing now), "the more I pray for things the less my prayers seem to get answered. I think God is leading me on to ask less and less for things and more and more for Himself."

Then he expressed this profound thought: "Prayer is taking part in the process of being known." I glanced up as I wrote those words and looked out at the trees in my garden.

God knows everything there is to know about those trees, but they are not persons so they cannot join in the process of being known. God knows all there is to know about me, but that objective knowledge is quite different from the process of drawing close to Him in prayer and letting Him know me through my opening up to Him. One is objective knowledge, the other experiential.

And what is breathtakingly marvelous about all this is that in every spiritual t?te-?-t?te I hold with God, He seeks to draw my soul into such a relationship with Him that I know Him as a Father and a Friend. Such knowledge is almost too good to be true. But also too good not to be true.

Prayer:
My Father and my Friend, may my times of communion with You be more than just a petitioner talking to a Supplier. I know You are willing to open Yourself fully to me; help me open myself fully to You. In Christ's Name I ask it. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Knowing God

Philippians 3

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection ..." (v. 10)

It is not my purpose at this moment to explore the philosophy of prayer, but I do feel it will be helpful to some if I point out that God delights also to be known. The Father is known by the other members of the Trinity (and of course they by Him), and that undoubtedly brings Him great pleasure.

But He longs to be known by His children also. There is something in the heart of the Deity that enjoys being known. A lovely, though apocryphal, story told by a Jewish rabbi describes a conversation between Abraham and God.

It goes something like this. "God said to Abraham: 'Do you realize, Abraham, that without Me you would be nothing?' 'Ah yes, Lord,' said Abraham, 'I do realize that without You I would be nothing.'

Then he thought for a moment, and bowing his head low to the ground said: 'Forgive me if I am being presumptuous, O Lord, but it occurs to me that without me You would not be known.'" This is only a story, of course, and is not intended to convey that God is dependent on His creatures.

It simply illustrates the truth that in some mystical way we enrich the heart of God by knowing Him. I am not saying that by knowing God we add to Him or complete Him. That would be foolish. But we can by our deeper knowledge of Him bring Him pleasure. And if there is no greater reason than that for knowing God, then it ought to suffice.

Prayer:
O Father, I am grateful for the way in which I have come to know You, but I long to know You still more. You open Yourself fully to me; may I open myself fully to You. In Christ's Name I pray. Amen.