Pilgrimage

I’ve been reading Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge as part of my morning devotions.  Sorge really gives some excellent insight into the devotional life…hence the post on Thomas a’ Kempis who’s writings are classic for Christian devotion.

I am coming to believe that our sanctification and ability to wage spiritual warfare are completely tied to our devotional life.  This is why it is often the most challenging aspect of a believer’s life.  Show me a believer who is struggling with habitual sin and I will show you someone who has a poor devotional life.  As one who is in ministry and has seen the effect of “busy-ness” on the home of the pastor, I can testify to the challenges of maintaining a healthy relationship with the Lord.

My heart breaks for men of God who do not make time to spend large amounts of time with God.  Good men who desire to be faithful to God’s word can easily get caught in the trap of serving others before or instead of serving God.  Parishioners in the congregation should rejoice if they can pay their pastor to spend his entire work-week in God’s presence.  People are looking for a word from God, and the only way a man of God can deliver it is by spending time with the Lord.

Devotions have to be more than just a few minutes of scripture reading and a quick prayer.  God waits patiently for us to slow the pace and wait in His presence.  The daily walk can sometimes get monotonous, but as Sorge shares, it is well worth it for the spark of intimacy with our Lord that comes from time to time when we are faithful to the secret place.

Satan is sly in that he uses our failures to push us away from God.  Like a child who hides from his parents when he has been disobedient, our tendency is to shun God because we do not want Him to look at our short-comings.  Satan tells us that God is ashamed of us and disappointed in us.  The scriptures however, clearly indicate that Satan is the father of lies.  When we fall or disobey, that is the time to run to the secret place and hide in the presence of God.  It is really ironic, but our sinfulness should actually push us to God.  It is only in God that we can grow in sanctification and as we grow in sanctification we grow in intimacy with Him.

Though a good man fall seven times…he will rise again.