"We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you
may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and
understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully
pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God." Colossians 1:9b-10 (ESV)
Most often, I am an "all-or-nothing"
person: either in or out. Whilst I happily recognize the reality of
shades of grey in life's arena, I make my choices: I am impulsive,
impatient, and confrontational. I want everything done ASAP,
successfully completed! I am task-orientated. Sadly for me, spiritual
life is not always that simple. It seems to be a relentless process of
coming close to God, taking Him for granted and becoming distanced, and
then coming close to God again in a new way or with a deeper
understanding of what we have already learned.
We are in the
midst of moving house, and if left to me, I would have bought and sold
this house several times over in the time taken so far. Fortunately, I
have experience being a Christian for over forty years now: God's grace,
love, and wisdom have made inroads into my shortcomings. In some manner,
God is preparing me for heaven, and saving others from my ire in the
interim.
Without wishing to appear deprecating, I think we can
learn from dogs on the lead. Some dogs walk by their human leader,
side-by-side, checking their position as they go, with a loose lead.
Other dogs do not require a lead; they check their pace and walk side by
side. They look and listen to their leader. Still others are always
chasing something, scampering off in front, straining at the leash. That
is definitely me -- sometimes!
Sometimes, I long to go off and
play, and leave someone else to be sensible and do the hard stuff, but
that is not going to happen. I know that God has called me not to run
ahead, but to persist and overcome, and not just about moving house. So
being task-orientated, I am like a dog with a bone. I won't lay it down
until I am done, gnawing away at it until the task is finished.
Just like dogs that scamper off when given the opportunity to express
their own freedom to explore, I enjoy the good stuff of life, and having
found Jesus, I listen to my Master's voice, to keep in step, until the
day when, face-to-face, I am able completely and freely to stay happily
with Him. In the meantime, with obedience come God's favour, safety,
blessing, and encouragement to keep on keeping on. Even at death's door,
I believe our Master's voice will lead us on and keep us close.
Prayer: Lord, we rejoice that we are not alone. Come walk with us today
as we enjoy the blessings that You send us. Grant us courage to find You
with us through the bad, the painful, or the frustratingly slow or
horrid stuff. Thank You for loving us and for setting us free to walk by
Your side, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Rod Marshal Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Thanks to
PresbyCan Daily Devotional
