Monday, October 26, 2009

The Difference a Day Makes

I was reading a little Dietrich Bonhoeffer this morning- and by the way, who doesn't love a theologian and teacher that does all of his writing under the shadow of a Nazi government and ends up dying in a concentration camp for participating in a scheme to assassinate Hitler? You know his writing will have some real zing to it- how could it not? Anyway, I digress...

In his small book,Meditating on the Word, Bonhoeffer makes this statement, "The present day marks the boundary of our cares and concerns. It is long enough to find God or to lose him, to keep faith or fall into disgrace." In this chapter, Bonhoeffer is calling out for Christ-followers to see the daily need to meet God in prayer and in the Word. He advocates a kind of discipline that we might call "legalism"- meditating on Scripture each day, whether we feel like it or not, as an "obligatory service to the One who desires our prayers and praises."

There's something about me that wants to run from this idea. I want to believe that my relationship with God can be more free than that- more natural and more spontaneous. Yet I know the truth of Bonhoeffer's words. A single day where I have ignored the presence and person of God in my life is more than enough to get myself off track. I am amazed at how quickly my thoughts can turn from positive to negative, my soul goes from faith to fear, and my focus blurs from sharp to hazy. While I want to believe that I can get to know God when I feel like it and on my terms, I am learning that there is too much laziness, too much distraction in me, for this to build a deep connection with God.

So, I am coming to a reality of devotion- I must bring myself before God each and every day, or else face an uphill battle to recover what is lost. One day is more than enough to lose sight of what matters most. Thankfully, one day is also enough to start fresh and fix my eyes on Him.

May you seek Him in this day as you journey on-

Nick

2 comments:

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Melanee said...

Beautiful post. And so true. The way of the disciple requires much of us. We must pay the price. Not that God needs us to for Him, but that He wants it for us. True discipleship requires sacrifice, and sacrifice is not a popular notion in our modern world.

We also live in such a world of philosophical confusion that we need the daily clarifying Word of God to edify our minds and hearts so we will be led according to His will. So that our eyes can see, our ears can hear, and our hearts can be penetrated with clarity.