Reflections (Matthew 5:16)

My justification is assured since I have believed on Jesus and my glorification is assured at His return. Sanctification, then, is an ongoing process which requires something of me and is the focus of my spiritual development and maintenance. Thank God I have divine omnipotent help and I am not alone in meeting the task! It is not an easy project and there is no fast track. But God is perfect and cannot fail. My hope is in Jesus Christ.

I pray that I have a greater hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God tomorrow than I have had hitherto. This time to focus solely upon spiritual and conscious communion with God is as vital to my existence as oxygen and perhaps more valuable ultimately. In order to integrate a balanced, thoughtful, full-orbed, mature Christian spirituality, I must not get out of bed until I have prayed and acknowledged my complete dependence upon Christ, and inquire what devotional activities might be immediately scheduled into my schedule for this day to insure that I spend more quality time with the Lord. The well organized person manages his time wisely. So should I make certain I have scheduled (spent) my time with the Lord each day and be careful to guard that time jealously, not having neglected to do all else as unto Him in an attitude of selfless love that might please Him. This is the stewardship God desires for me to exercise in this life. God is jealous for His people and I pray to become ever more desirous of His pleasure in my life.

I would also endeavor to meet any and all instances of conflict, pain, or potential confusion, whenever they occur, with the immediate response of prayer, praise, and worship however brief. I will be mindful not to allow worldly entertainment, a career, or even church duties and ministry to outweigh my time in the secret place each day, knowing that God desires to meet and nourish me in that stillness as much as I desire His presence. If it can ever be said that I have completely surrendered to God every hour of any given day, I will ask Him to make me more like Christ more consistently and continually until I am forever in His presence (like Enoch). I pray that I will always pray for a greater hunger and desire to get closer and communicate more consistently with God and that I will progress steadily in this direction. “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:25, 27)

I have learned that I must respect the most valuable resource I have and that this resource, namely prayer, must be put to a good use on a daily and hourly basis. This is crucial in order that my faith fail not and that my effectiveness in evangelism and ministry increase and be continually renewed and strengthened. In this way I hope to know Jesus more perfectly and make Him more perfectly known. This is the only way I will be able to say that in Christ I live and move and have my being. This is the only way I will accomplish the coveted goal of remaining more consistently connected to the true vine in my daily life.