Scripture
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
2 Corinthians 2:9, NLT {Paul quoting Isaiah 64:4}
Quote
Prayer is the gleaming doorway to the depths.
~Calvin Miller
Calvin Miller tells the story of Anne who was one of his best friends. Anne got news from the doctor that she had cancer and only six months to live. Miller got to share fellowship with her during those final months: he said, “No life should be lived without such a friend.” Anne was a beautiful woman and an artist with cosmetics but the news of the cancer changed Anne. She was no longer concerned with the outward; instead the inward and the spiritual became vastly more important. The clock was ticking so fast for Anne that she cut through the red tape; no wasted words, no trivial pursuits, no dream vacations and she had no time for the cheap and the temporal. The deep issues of life had taken over and the superficial had lost its luster.
Deep is the dwelling place of God and where His greatest treasures are found. The tragedy is that most people live on the surface. There is a difference between snorkeling and scuba diving. When you snorkel, your face is under the surface and you are looking down but you are still on the surface and your vision of the deep is very limited. You will discover many interesting things but you will also get sun burned if you are not careful. Scuba diving is different, you go down below the surface and there you see things that you would never see from the top. Esau was a snorkeler and Jacob a scuba diver. Like all hedonist, Esau went from pleasure to pleasure. Give him a beer, burger, broad, bow, bowl or brawl and he was happy. If he ever had a deep or serious thought, it is not recorded. He lived on the surface and he found it hard to maintain deep and enduring relationships.
My challenge today is to go deeper in your relationship with Jesus. Spend some quality time with Him. Spend some time in His word and in prayer. The treasures are hidden beneath the surface. You don’t mine diamonds on the surface; you have to dig deep to find them.
Extra
As I read, I come across references to books and I write them down and have June or Mandy order them. Right now I am reading about seven devotionals and one of them is Calvin Miller’s. I’ve never read Miller that I recall and I am loving his books. I also have C. S. Lewis, God In The Dock. The dock in England is the box where the defendant sits in the courtroom. No more book order until I finish the ones I have. One that I am about to finish is A. Ray Lee’s PAGES FROM A FORGOTTEN NOTEBOOK. I doubt if laymen would enjoy it but it is a good read for a pastor. I am rereading Graham’s THE KEY TO PERSONAL PEACE and loving it.
Another study day today. Trying to prepare my heart and mind for the JANUARY BIBLE STUDY at Sardis Springs which starts Sunday night. One of the young and inexperience pastors made the remark yesterday that no one attends Winter Bible Studies: he has never been to Sardis Springs.
I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading the blog. A shout out to Pastor Teddy Turrentine in Grand Bay. Praying for you brother. Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog. The book by Miller is called, INTO THE DEPTHS. I love it. I also recommend that you read Job in the message; especially if you are a pastor.