Been going back over the book Seeking The Face Of God by Gary L. Thomas.
He highlights a resolution made by the Catholic theologian Francis De Sales many, many years ago.
"AND, TURNING MYSELF TOWARDS MY MOST GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL GOD, I DESIRE, PURPOSE, AND AM IRREVOCABLY RESOLVED TO SERVE AND LOVE HIM NOW AND FOREVER; AND TO THIS END, I GIVE AND CONSECRATE TO HIM MY SOUL WITH ALL ITS POWERS, MY HEART WITH ALL ITS AFFECTIONS, MY BODY WITH ALL ITS SENSE, PROTESTING THAT I WILL NEVER MORE ABUSE ANY PART OF MY BEING AGAINST HIS DEVINE WILL AND SOVEREIGN MAJESTY, TO WHOM I OFFER UP AND SACRIFICE MYSELF IN SPIRIT, TO BE FOREVER HIS LOYAL, OBEDIENT, AND FAITHFUL CREATURE, WITHOUT EVER REVOKING OR REPENTING OF THIS MY ACT AND DEED.
BUT, IF, ALAS! I SHOULD CHANCE, THROUGH THE SUGGESTION OF THE ENEMY OR THROUGH HUMAN FRAILTY, TO TRANSGRESS, IN ANY POINT, OR FAIL IN ADHERING TO THIS MY RESOLUTION AND DEDICATION, I PROTEST FROM THIS MOMENT AND AM DETERMINED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE HOLY GHOST, TO RISE AS AS SOON AS I SHALL PERCEIVE MY FALL, AND RETURN AGAIN TO THE DIVINE MERCY, WITHOUT ANY DELAY WHATSOEVER. THIS IS MY INVIOLABLE AND IRRECVOCABLE WILL, INTENTION, AND RESOLUTION, WHICH I DECLARE AND CONFIRM WITHOUT RESERVATION OR EXCEPTION, IN THE SACRED PRESENCE OF GOD.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Changing priorities
For soo many years I have spent much of my time seeking my own pleasure and personal enjoyment. I have been very self-centered, and now, with regret and repentance, I ask God's forgiveness and hope to always be brought back to this thought when I begin to stray and from it.
What is really, really important today?
“A living dog is better than a dead lion.”
Ecclesiastes 9:4
Life is a precious thing, and in its humblest form it is superior to death. This truth is eminently certain in spiritual things. It is better to be the least in the kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. The lowest degree of grace is superior to the noblest development of unregenerate nature. Where the Holy Ghost implants divine life in the soul, there is a precious deposit which none of the refinements of education can equal. The thief on the cross excels Caesar on his throne; Lazarus among the dogs is better than Cicero among the senators; and the most unlettered Christian is in the sight of God superior to Plato. Life is the badge of nobility in the realm of spiritual things, and men without it are only coarser or finer specimens of the same lifeless material, needing to be quickened, for they are dead in trespasses and sins.
A living, loving, gospel sermon, however unlearned in matter and uncouth in style, is better than the finest discourse devoid of unction and power. A living dog keeps better watch than a dead lion, and is of more service to his master; and so the poorest spiritual preacher is infinitely to be preferred to the exquisite orator who has no wisdom but that of words, no energy but that of sound. The like holds good of our prayers and other religious exercises; if we are quickened in them by the Holy Spirit, they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, though we may think them to be worthless things; while our grand performances in which our hearts were absent, like dead lions, are mere carrion in the sight of the living God. O for living groans, living sighs, living despondencies, rather than lifeless songs and dead calms. Better anything than death. The snarlings of the dog of hell will at least keep us awake, but dead faith and dead profession, what greater curses can a man have? Quicken us, quicken us, O Lord!
Ecclesiastes 9:4
Life is a precious thing, and in its humblest form it is superior to death. This truth is eminently certain in spiritual things. It is better to be the least in the kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. The lowest degree of grace is superior to the noblest development of unregenerate nature. Where the Holy Ghost implants divine life in the soul, there is a precious deposit which none of the refinements of education can equal. The thief on the cross excels Caesar on his throne; Lazarus among the dogs is better than Cicero among the senators; and the most unlettered Christian is in the sight of God superior to Plato. Life is the badge of nobility in the realm of spiritual things, and men without it are only coarser or finer specimens of the same lifeless material, needing to be quickened, for they are dead in trespasses and sins.
A living, loving, gospel sermon, however unlearned in matter and uncouth in style, is better than the finest discourse devoid of unction and power. A living dog keeps better watch than a dead lion, and is of more service to his master; and so the poorest spiritual preacher is infinitely to be preferred to the exquisite orator who has no wisdom but that of words, no energy but that of sound. The like holds good of our prayers and other religious exercises; if we are quickened in them by the Holy Spirit, they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, though we may think them to be worthless things; while our grand performances in which our hearts were absent, like dead lions, are mere carrion in the sight of the living God. O for living groans, living sighs, living despondencies, rather than lifeless songs and dead calms. Better anything than death. The snarlings of the dog of hell will at least keep us awake, but dead faith and dead profession, what greater curses can a man have? Quicken us, quicken us, O Lord!
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