Companions of haste

Our busy lives seem to drain a lot of energy from us and often leave us feeling too tired for the things of God. Reading through his book of devotions I came across these thoughts from Edward Bounds:

"Calmness and strength are never the companions of haste. Short devotional time drains spiritual vigour and the root and bloom of the spiritual life." - E.M. Bounds

It is true of my own life, that when I find I rush my devotions, in order to do the 'real' work of God, I find myself more unsettled and at dis-ease. Can you relate to this at all?

What do you make of the thought that calmness and strength are NOT companions of haste?

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray." - James 5:13

Living in Grace

D3LM3

A Prayer to begin the day

How do you begin your day? Do you find the demands of the day rushing into your mind as your feet hit the floor? Do you have 5 thousand things on your "to do" list before you even get to take your first sip of coffee? If this sounds a little like you, then can I suggest you pause for a second - turn
your phone on silent - look away from your diary and pray this prayer...

"O Lord, I place myself in your hands and dedicate myself to you. 
I pledge myself to do your will in all things: 
To love the Lord God with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength. .... 
 To desire eternal life with spiritual longing. 
To keep death before my eyes daily. 
To keep constant watch over my actions. 
To remember that God sees me everywhere. 
To call upon Christ for defense against evil thoughts that arises in my heart.
 To guard my tongue against wicked speech. To avoid much speaking. To avoid idle talk. 
To read only what is good to read. To look at only what is good to see. 
To pray often. 
To ask forgiveness daily for my sins, and to seek ways to amend my life. 
To obey my superiors in all things rightful. 
Not to desire to be thought holy, but to seek holiness. 
To fulfill the commandments of God by good works. 
To love chastity. To hate no one. 
Not to be jealous or envious of anyone. Not to love strife. 
Not to love pride. To honor the aged. 
To pray for my enemies. To make peace after a quarrel, before the setting of the sun. 
Never to despair of your mercy, O God of Mercy. 
Amen." - Benedict of Nursia (480-547)

If you find this helpful please forward the pray onto someone else. God bless you.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Devote yourself...

 
Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God - 1 Chronicles 22:19

We devote a lot of ourselves to many things:

Careers
Relationships
Being good parents
Hobbies
Sports
Music
And so on...

The challenge is always to 'devote' ourselves fully to God. Of course, this is not to the exclusion of the others, but rather putting God first in our lives. I think that the more I devote myself to God then the more I will want the 'other things' to reflect God's character. Wouldn't it be great to have evidence of God in my career, relationships, parenthood, hobbies, sport, music etc?

So here is a similar exercise: make a mental list of all the things that occupy your time. How much of God is reflected in what you do?

.....Just asking!

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Too busy?

I read a few thoughts from J. Farro today and these words struck a chord with me:

"I remember hearing a godly man say that if the devil can't hinder our relationship with God by making us immoral, he'll simply make us busy."

Wow, that was quite a wake up call. In rushing around trying to get things sorted out before our Sabbatical (long leave) it is easy to squeeze out the important time with God. I have had to be really disciplined to keep my devotions focused. So, how is your time with God going? Are you finding yourself too busy to read the scriptures and pray? If we are too busy for God, then perhaps we are just too busy!

It's worth thinking about!

Living in Grace,

D3LM3

Personal Space

With the start of the new school term life has become hectic in our home (I am sure you can relate to this or remember those days). In truth, things can easily spin out of control unless we are proactive and carve out time for ourselves. One can call it 'personal space' or 'time for yourself' - the name we place on this precious commodity is a matter of semantics.

I would like to encourage us all to find time to refocus our lives, to get back to an intentional time with Christ and to be refreshed. In my personal experience no one will help you to do this - it has to be initiated by ourselves. If we have the power to fill our diaries with other appointments, then we must add some 'alone time with Christ.' If Jesus found it important to spend time with his Dad, then so do you and I.

Mark 1:35 - "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

Think about it.
Put it into your diary now.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

P.S. - If you have just finished shaking your head, wondering where you will ever get time for yourself, then please find 30 minutes for yourself in the next 5 days. Go on, I dare you. Read this site for some handy tips on how to make it happen.

It's better when we are together

The famous lines from the Jack Johnson song go like this...
"It's better when we are together!"

I see this as a mantra for my relationship with God. When my days get so hectic and I don't spend time with Christ, I feel that my days are not as 'good' as they could be. I am often more stressed, critical, impatient and unloving - the fruits of the Spirit don't seem to be as evident in my life as they could be.

A life spent in communion with Jesus takes lots of discipline and practise. There is no easy option, short-cut or microwave version of 'submitting our LIVES' to Christ. The secret lies in the 'long view' and realising that we need to try and cultivate our relationship on a daily basis.

I am sometimes asked how I spend my 'devotional' times and whilst I am not perfect in this arena, here are a few tips. If they help you, then please use them.

1. Space - I am a person who needs quiet for my devotions. This is not for everyone, but I like to lock myself away from the noise of the world. I find that I am more receptive to the promptings of the Spirit. For some of us, driving in the car listening to a Christian CD creates this 'space.'

2. Scripture - sounds obvious, but sometimes we can read so many other things that speak 'about' God, that we forget to read what the 'Word of God' says. I usually have my devotional guide with me - this has the scripture, a few comments and a short prayer. This is helpful to start off my time with God. Find something that works for you and if you need help, just shout!

3. Journal - I keep a journal, where I write down the scriptures that I read and if I feel God prompting me with something. To be honest, I have never ever heard God speak to me in an audible voice, but I have strongly felt His guidance and promptings through these devotional times.

4. Prayer - This is normally the hardest part for me, as I am a 'pray as you go' kind of person. I discipline myself to sit for a few moments, in order to allow God to whisper to me. I sometimes write my prayers down, as this allows God a chance to respond. I am good at giving God my 'story', but I am still learning to listen to His voice.

5. Do - if I have felt led to do something in the devotion, I make it a priority to do it soon.

I hope that this is helpful for some of you. I know that many of you are already further down the road than I am, but may we all be inspired to nurture 'quality time' with Christ. I think we need to be less stressed about how we do it and rather just plunge into it and commit to the process.

Growing in Grace,
D3LM3