WATCHWORD:
14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14-15.
Meditation:
Christ Within Us
In my home I have a framed, rather rustic rendering of a quote from Joshua 24:15: “…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” I have a prayer list that reminds me each morning of the names of those I am lifting to the Lord. My morning prayers include: “Help me Lord to be committed to what you have placed on my heart and give me strength to follow Your will.”
In a basic sense, these are all just words, reminders, sentiments that are simply read and have little meaning, until the words are translated into the actual flow of everyday living, inspired by our faith in God. Do I really serve Him? Do I really lift up those in need to the Lord, each one by name? Do I really listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying?
Randy Alcorn, in his book The Grace and Truth Paradox, dramatically describes the horror of what Jesus endured, from the trial to the cross, for us. Reminding us that the “cost of redemption cannot be overstated. The wonders of grace cannot be overemphasized. Christ took the hell He didn’t deserve so we could have the heaven we don’t deserve.”
How do we put the reality of Christ’s sufferings for us and the grace that is implied, into our daily lives, with gratitude and compassion? Quite simply, it is only through our faith. That is the bottom line.
In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus tells us “Enter by the narrow gate…Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life…” Oswald Chambers writes in Mere Christianity, “If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult.” That includes our time with the Lord; morning, before sleep, and every moment in between.
There will come a time when the difficult days of the present moment, will begin to fade from memory. What will we take away from these trying times? Will we realize that deep within us there is an amazing inner sanctuary, a Holy place, the Divine Center where the voice of God speaks to us in quiet tones. Will we hold dear the understanding that what we may have found difficult, is all part of the gift, His grace speaking to us through adversity?
Will we come to realize that deep within each one of us is the Light of the Spirit, the Holy Light which aluminums the face of God and casts new shadows and brightness on the faces of our loved ones, yes, all those on our prayer lists and more? How do we recognize this Light, how do we recognize the Spirit, and at what point do we realize that we are seeing the very presence of Christ, there within that sanctuary that we call our own heart?
Will we come to realize that the Light is the living Christ within us, He the initiator and we are the responders to the urges, that quiet word from deep within, that moves us into ministry? Paul tells us in Philippians 2:13, “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” But, we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living.
So, pretty picture on the wall, hopeful sentiment to end prayer time, prayer lists, memorized prayers … all meaningless… until we impart meaning to them through flesh and blood living. We must know that the Christian life is gloriously difficult, but, the difficulty of the life is what motivates us to live a life of worth and excellence, with the strength that Jesus gives us. Amen.
Notice:
Ever been to your wit’s end? The last straw? The end of your rope? Check out the Watchword for this coming Saturday. You might be reminded of something important.
Morning Prayer:
Lord, open my mind that I may be aware of your presence in my daily life. Open my heart that I may offer you all my thoughts. Open my mouth that I may speak to you throughout my day. I am grateful that you wish to hear my voice. To you I give my all. Help me to do your will, every moment of this and every day.
Lord, give me the grace for today. Before me, the day looms with great possibilities and even greater challenges. I put it all in your hands. Order my day and order my life. Help me to embrace every challenge, to be open to all you have to give and to see all as opportunity. One moment at a time. One person at a time. One gift at a time. Help me to breathe in your Spirit and to exhale any fear that may cause me to question and to worry. The world causes stress. You offer peace. I choose you!
Lord, I pray that you will touch those that I hold in my heart and mind, touch them in their need, in their discomfort and pain, in their recovery and in their struggle for meaning. Most of all, Lord, touch them with your Spirit, and make them new.
We offer all these prayers Lord in the Name of Your Son, Jesus the Christ, our Lord, Savior and Brother. Amen and amen.
