Christian Living

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David Livingstone died on his knees in the heart of Africa. He prayed early and throughout his life that he might resemble Christ. Living among the natives in darkest Africa, he led a circumspect life. Truly he lived by the faith of Jesus Christ.

George Mueller felt the Lord wanted him to start an orphanage. He determined he would ask only God for money. One night when the orphans went to bed, he found no food in the cupboards. He had no money to buy it. "Please, Lord," he prayed, "Send food."

The following morning he asked the Lord's blessing as usual. Soon after, the local baker knocked on the door. "I could not sleep last night," he said. "The Lord told me to get up and bake bread for the orphans." All orphans had all the warm bread they could eat.

Then the milkman's cart broke down in front of Mr. Mueller's door. The milkman unloaded plenty of milk for their breakfast!
What was the secret of the spiritual strength of Livingstone and Mueller? How did they and other spiritual giants accomplish what they did?

First, I do not believe they started out as spiritual giants. Mr. Mueller, Mr. Livingstone, and other great men of God began their spiritual lives the same as the rest of us, as spiritual babes in Christ.

In my own spiritual life the Lord has sometimes drawn so close to me I felt I could almost reach out and touch Him. Other times, an impenetrable barrier seemed to separate me from my Lord. What makes the difference?

A few guidelines may serve to set forth the secret of communion with our Lord.

Spend Time in Heartsearch
A wise counselor once asked me to list all the problem areas in my life. Then he suggested I correlate these with Scripture, thus applying the Word of God to each area. As I laid out my life before God, the Holy Spirit searched out my heart. I did not enjoy this exercise, but it helped me grow in the Lord.

Confess Your Sin
Now that the Holy Spirit has searched your heart, own up to your sin before God. If you sinned against a person, confess to them also. Then make things right as far as possible. Then forgive yourself, just as God has forgiven you.

Forsake Your Sin
When I counseled with Brother Taylor, I failed to forsake one sin. "Lynn," he told me, "you're carrying around too many burdens." The sin of worry robbed me of communion, but I lacked understanding at the time. I called my burdens "nerves", and they continued to plague me.

Sometime later, the Lord called my husband home. That night sleep evaded me. I communed with my precious Lord in the wee hours of the night. At once the Lord took away my "nerves"!

A few nights later, my "nerves" started to come back. "Lord," I cried urgently, "please do not let my nerves come back." My burdens lifted at once. Since that night my life has not been free from problems. However, it has been relatively free from worry. I am learning to cast my cares upon the Lord.

Spend Time with the Lord Daily
"Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors" (Proverbs 8:34). Pray every day and meditate on God’s Word. God does no't send fire down from Heaven to consume us when we skip a day, but we lose God's blessing for that day. We cannot enjoy sweet communion with God when we fail to spend time with Him.

Separate from the World
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful" (Psalm 1:1). The one whom God blesses does not hang around with sinners and indulge in worldly pleasures. We cannot commune with God unless we are walking in the same way with Him. "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3).

My pastor’s countenance reflected the joy deep down in his heart. He faced severe trials. How could he rejoice? I wondered.

For a short time my husband and I lived in the church building until could get on our feet financially. When I arose in the night to open the door for my husband, I found my pastor communing with his Lord. I had found the secret of his joy.

When we spend time in heartsearch, confess and forsake our sins, spend time with the Lord daily, and separate from the world, we will find the way to commune with God.

Printed in Pocket Inspirations, April/May 1990, © Lynn Wallace

My book, Our Lifeship: A Study in Proverbs for Women, contains some of these tips. See more about my book, my bio, and speaking at www.writingfrommyheart.com.

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