The Slumber

"The blessings and the gifts of this life aren't the good news of the gospel. Our hope for life everlasting, swamped by a never-ending bliss, is the good news. But Christianity has fallen asleep to this new and living hope. Consequently, we desperately seek satisfaction in a world where no satisfaction is to be found." (exerpt from The Slumber of Christianity by Ted Dekker).



I long for the hope of the next life to captivate me here. That what is to come is so vivid and real in my life that it affects how I live. God, give me a glimpse of this everlasting hope. Help me to remember that its your cross that makes all this possible (hope in this life and hope eternally).


This weekend was tough for me. Tough because when I look at myself, I see failure. I see a striving to please God, and continually a lack of doing so. I see great need, and I miss the fact that my Savior is GREATER! He speaks! He is active. This was displayed by the cross. His lavish love poured out there, is more than enough for any need. But its so easy to get caught up in what I need to do (or what I haven't done). I took a drive to the mountains to have a "chat with God" (as Christa calls it).


It was an interesting time. I left probably more confused than when I started though (which was somewhat frustrating for me). My tendency is to forget that I am a great sinner but Christ is a great Savior. And that He can relate to my struggles and temptations. And that He gives me the strength I need to overcome those temptations when I rely on Him. No, instead I think that its up to me. My sanctification is up to me. That the cross was for salvation and now I'm on my own. I'm thankful for Christa pointing out that the cross is so much more than a "fire escape" in our lives. And that God doesn't demand perfection - Christ died because we can never be perfect in our own strength. No matter how hard we try, we can't reach it on our own. Our trust and faith needs to be in Jesus' strength working in and through us.


Holy Spirit, I need your guidance. I need your gift of faith in my life. I want to know God. I want to be able to say "What a friend I have in Jesus." Please captivate me. Divorce me from the ties of this world. Help my sould to breathe after holiness; after a constant devotedness to you. Help me to realize that all fullness can only be found in you. As the Puritan writer in the Valley of Vision wrote : "To this end, O God, do thou establish me in Christ, settle me, give me a being there, assure me with certainty that all this is mine, for this only will fill my heart with joy and peace."