Christian Living

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Jeremiah sought vainly for hearts open to God, and there were few to none. Blind eyes, deaf ears, stony hearts. His message was delivered with tears, but there were no takers. Jesus came with the same message, updated, and was willing to die for it. Still, blind eyes, deaf ears, cold hearts, only a few takers. So He died and went back to His Father to continue to plead for us there at the very throne of God. This world is not a very fertile field for the Good News, then or now. Life here looks pretty bleak for those few who put their lives on the line for Him, see a brighter day and live in the Light of it. This world, however, doesn't really count. It's just the testing ground.

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that go in thereat. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and few there be that find it." Matt. 7:13

There is a Scripture spoken to Solomon by the Lord which says, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chron. 2:14 It is often quoted and prayed, but I wonder if we consider that the answer to the prayer is clearly conditional? If all we do is pray, and we don't humble ourselves and don't seek his face and don't turn from our wicked ways, absolutely nothing is promised. The comfort we feel at having prayed rings hollow.

I find myself crying out to God for help to walk calmly and peacefully through the world herein described. My soul is often in turmoil. I don't know where to turn. Maybe I'm too noisy to hear the Spirit's sweet voice leading me. My Father, please help me calm down and be perfectly still so I can hear Him. I'm so sorry I have to be driven to you. Why can't I live constantly close to You? When the world becomes intolerable, then I seek Your face. Why can't I feel the comfort and peace of your Presence all the time? Every waking moment? This is my prayer, dear Father, let me live so close to You that the world will not break my heart, keep me weeping and steal my peace. My heart lies open and bleeding at what I see and hear. It seems each person has his own righteousness which may or may not be Yours. I know love covers a multitude of sins, and I carry responsibility only for my own, but when the ones we love (your people, our families and the world's people), are involved, it hurts so to see your holy name disparaged and your will trashed. Peace is hard to come by. I'm studying trying to learn how Jesus did it. Please help me see, understand and practice the way He calmly went about His Father's business. I'm having a hard time now. Let your strength shine in my weakness, and let me hear the Holy Spirit's leading loud and clear.

Maybe that's why old age imposes solitude; so we must finally face things as they are and ourselves as we really are. Maybe we are driven into ourselves to see exactly of what we are made--and to deal at gut-level what we find there. It is so easy to be distracted by externals when we are fully functioning in the world, but when time passes and we are alone at last, ah, then the rubber meets the road. Things as they really are become abundantly clear and must be dealt with. Please, sweet Spirit, direct us and lead us safe through these dark corners into the Light.

Dear Father, i feel so lost Gone are the props (people, activities, etc.), all taken away because physically I can no longer go where they are. The heat of humanity has got to be replaced by the Light of your Presence. Please hold onto me as I go through these dark lonely places. Help me make a calm, sweet withdrawal from this world into your Presence. Now I see clearly it's finally only Thee and me. All the peripherals fall away. I have been hanging on, looking longingly back to the props, things as they used to be, but this morning the Spirit has finally broken through. I was blind and slow to see. Help me keep this late-learned lesson ever before me, every breath I draw untill my last. And I forgot to thank you for putting up with my slow-learning heart for such a long time. But now, by your grace, it is complete. Lesson learned. The new birth of who I am and Whose I am, the why of my circumstances, and a new bright Light to follow. Help me, dear Father, never, ever to forget!

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