Pastor's Ponderings
This Lent, I am inviting you to “Live One Day with Jesus” every day. The late Dr. Dallas Willard prepared this spiritual practice exercise when he was teaching. It has been presented as the Spiritual Practice for the class I am taking in California.
Purpose:
The secret of the blessed life is God with us. Life without lack. I shall not want. God really being with us works like the manna worked: one day at a time is enough, until the next day. If we can live one day with Jesus, we can lead every day with Him, each one as it comes.
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Preliminaries (You’ll need these things first.)
Faith in Jesus’ gospel of the availability of Heaven’s rule now.
Desire. No faking! God knows whether you really want Jesus to be with you or not. Many regard Jesus as necessary, but not desirable. Are you really “nuts about Jesus” or only prepared to put up with Him in some degree, even though you don’t really like Him?
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Exercise: (Please try all or some or a bit of this, as led.)
BEGINNING OF THE DAY – The biblical day, God’s day, begins at sundown, the early evening we might call it. God appoints an end to human labors with darkness. Mr. Edison has not put asunder what God joined together (Psalm 104:19-24).
In darkness we gather, we recollect in the security God has given to us. Above all, we rest. Rest is an act of faith, especially today. Few people today get the rest God has appointed for their natures. Get it. Arrange for it.
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Resolve household conflicts as appropriate. Have nothing between you and another.
Decide as you retire to meet with God first thing when you awake, and go over in your mind how that will be. Fall asleep in prayer. Use the simple prayers of childhood, or the Lord’s Prayer, or the 23rd Psalm.
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WAKING IN THE MORNING – Arise with praise to God. This will be natural (supernatural) if you retired in faith. As soon as possible seek seclusion to kneel for 5 or 10 minutes and welcome the presence of Jesus, renewing your invitation to Him to be with you each moment. Ask Him to remove all fear and fill you with His love for your life and all that enters it. Specific concerns for the day should be called out. De-clare your dependence upon Him to realize His presence with you.
VIEW LIFE FROM GOD’S POINT OF VIEW – Settle your mind into the “God’s eye view” of your world and what is transpiring around you (Psalm 33:13-22). By constantly re-newed effort, choose to “retain God in your knowledge” (Romans 1:28) and “set your affections on things above, not on things on earth” (Colossians 3:2). This is a habit you can develop.
AS THINGS COME UP – invite Jesus into each new situation or relationship as you move through the day. Expect Him to accomplish the goods of God’s love in these occasions. Watch for them and give thanks.
AS YOU ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE – WILL the peace and joy which you are experiencing to pass from you like living waters to those you are engaged with. It is in your body. You will it to enter others. Watch it happen. Sometimes by benediction or “good speaking,” sometimes in complete silence.
EVERY TWO TO THREE HOURS – Take 10 minutes to lift a fully concentrated heart and mind to God in thanksgiving and petition, alone if possible. Sometimes you may do this by looking at the beauty of a flower, or the sky, or listening to beautiful music.
AT THE END OF THE DAY – Take 15 minutes to review the day. Give thanks for the successes and try to understand why any failures that occurred did occur. Ask Jesus for guidance in continuing the project. (Note: Don’t make this a part of your evening exercises. They are a part of the new day.)
THINGS TO REMEMBER
If lapses from these practices occur, do not berate yourself. Just thank Jesus for being a good friend and resume your course. Don’t fuss over your failures. He doesn’t. You have better things to do.
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It is okay to succeed with your project of walking through the day with Jesus. God is-n’t just for sin. God would have a place in our life if we had never sinned. Life isn’t about sin. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
As you ponder the above, give it a try. If you have questions, reach out to me. This is not designed for “religious people in a monastery;” this is an invitation to walk with Jesus, really walk with Him moment by moment!
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Peace,
+PD