From Day to Day
AS we continue our look at this critically important principle of Time in our study in the Principles of Spiritual Growth, looking back at the last comment our author closed with this: All growth is progressive, and the finer the organism, the longer the process.
UPON reading that, the old adage that you get what you pay for came to mind. You get out of something what you are willing to put into it, whether it’s time, effort, or monetary risks.
IT seems like we are always looking for short cuts, the easy fix, a quick hit. But we know if something is to possess deep and lasting value it will only come at personal cost, an investment of personal sacrifice and discipline. See all those parables of Jesus regarding the Hidden Treasure, Pearl of Great Price, and so on. Our author is going to show us another, the parable and principle of the grain and harvest as it relates to this topic of Time and Christian growth. We must always keep in mind that the Christian life is a process, a process of becoming what you are called to be in Christ (Rom. 8:29).
“Every day you are becoming who you will be forever” – John Luhmann
MY prayer is that the Lord will bless you as you consider these things, and grant you the joy and quiet confidence in Him who is our strength.
In the wondrous blessings of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa. 30:15 & Job 2:10
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Chapter 2—TIME …..continued
Graham Scroggie affirmed, “Spiritual renewal is a gradual process. All growth is progressive, and the finer the organism, the longer the process. It is from measure to measure: thirtyfold, sixtyfold, an hundredfold. It is from stage to stage: ‘first the blade, then the ear, and after that, the full corn in the ear.’ And it is from day to day. How varied these are! There are great days, days of decisive battles, days of crises in spiritual history, days of triumph in Christian service, days of the right hand of God upon us. But there are also idle days, days apparently useless, when even prayer and holy service seem a burden. Are we, in any sense, renewed in these days? Yes, for any experience which makes us more aware of our need of God must contribute to spiritual progress, unless we deny the Lord who bought us.”
We might consider some familiar names of believers whom God obviously brought to maturity and used for His glory—such as Pierson, Chapman, Tauler, Moody, Goforth, Mueller, Taylor, Watt, Trumbull, Meyer, Murray, Havergal, Guyon, Mabie, Gordon, Hyde, Mantle, McCheyne, McConkey, Deck, Paxson, Stoney, Saphir, Carmichael and Hopkins. The average for these was 15 years after they entered their life work before they began to know the Lord Jesus as their Life and ceased trying to work for Him and began allowing Him to be their All in all and do His work through them. This is not to discourage us in any way but to help us to settle down with our sights on eternity, by faith “apprehend[ing] that for which also … [we are] apprehended of Christ Jesus… Press[ing] toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12, 14).
Certainly this is not to discount a Spirit-fostered experience, blessing, or even a crisis; but it is to be remembered that these simply contribute to the overall, and all-important, process. It takes time to get to know ourselves; it takes time and eternity to get to know our infinite Lord Jesus Christ. ….. to be continued
