It’s too easy to take great
privilege for granted. Like my photo, taken at Croome Park a couple of years
ago. Yes, I’ve visited loads of National Trust properties over the years and
sort of expect fabulous views to appear at every turn. I seem to remember it
rained on this particular excursion, but what a great vista to compensate! And
technology seems to move on and on and on, seemingly without limit… I well remember
my first ‘digital’ watch, many, many years ago. It was basically a wind up
thing with little flaps that ticked over every minute. Weird. Almost as much as
the really enormous communicators visualised in early Star Trek, and imagined
as cutting edge technology 400 fictional years in the future. Ah well, I prefer
my slimline Samsung any day. But don’t we absolutely take these things for granted
nowadays?
One thing I never want to do
is take God for granted. Yet I suspect that’s exactly what I do over and over
again. There’s always a natural inclination to take co-incidence as just that,
rather than overtly acknowledging divine intervention. So last week I was 200
miles away listening to a church message presented by a complete
stranger to my home church. The talk was very much about God presence 24/7,
with the obvious consequence of living with that reality. So I ‘heard’ the Lord
talking to me about 100% devotion to him and all his ways. Of course this
morning, back in Derby, I listened to the very same message; albeit wrapped up
in a rather different package. So am I surprised? No, not all as I’ve
experienced this many times over the years; so much so that I expect that there
are churches all over the world preaching a parallel theme this very week.
Given that the Lord is speaking so clearly, at least to me, dare I ignore the
challenge? My journey with God over the past 30 years has been so very precious
in so many ways; he has truly given me a wonderful life, and I owe him
everything! So the least I can do is to share my everything with him, to use as
he sees fit. Whenever, whatever… I will seek and serve him.
A few days ago I made a
passing comment to an acquaintance at church; I have few responsibilities with no
job and no wife, so I’m in a very privileged position with only the Lord to
please. But I need to get real on that, don’t I? Maybe that would release real
heavenly surprises in Dave’s world. Truly living God’s way rather than mine…
Romans 12:1-2 ‘And so, dear
brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because
of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he
will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t
copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a
new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s
will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.’ (NLT)
No comments:
Post a Comment