LENTEN MEDITATION 4

Taking Advantage of GOD

This morning I awoke and was dull of spirit. I wasn't sleepy but simply dull. When I started my morning Psalms, it was totally from a sense of duty; all zest had gone from my early morning devotions.

What was wrong?

After we did morning prayer, our dear and precious LORD, gracious and long-suffering as HE+ is, showed me my sin: I had taken advantage of HIS+ mercy ... so that I could do what I wanted.

What I had done --- willfully done --- last night, Friday evening, was read a children's story book (grade 4 !) of short stories, put out by a Christian publishing house. The situation would likely be innocuous for most people. But for me.... my scheming heart and whiney Self... made this into sin.

Earlier, I had given over to The LORD my reading of Christian novels for Lent. This was important because I LOVE TO READ and I relax down at the end of the work week with a "good book." So... I convinced myself that reading a home-schooling curriculum book of children's short stories (from a Christian publishing house, no less) would not be the same thing as my reading of a Christian novel, right?

NO, WRONG.

The hermitage had an element of un-peacefulness this morning. It was only after our combined morning prayer that peace returned to my husband and me... after I came under conviction that I had taken advantage of the Grace of GOD with my guile... in order to indeed read my book.

Guile, you may recall, is ARTFUL DECEPTION.

Thank you, LORD, that you are not able to be tricked and will not ever bless even the slightest bit of artful deception in me. Thank you for your true mercy of conviction of sin... without which I would be lost. Help me to live honestly and uprightly before you all the days of my life.

It brings to mind the old prayer out of the 1945 Book of Common Prayer.

But, O GOD,Who+ knowest the weakness and corrruption of our nature, and the manifold temptations which we daily meet with;

We humbly beseech THEE to have compassion on our infirmities, and to give us the constant assistance of Thy HOLY SPIRIT; that we may be effectually restrained from sin, and incited to obedience.

Imprint upon our hearts such a dread of Thy judgments, and such a grateful sense of Thy goodness to us , as may make us both afraid and ashamed to offend THEE.

And , above all, keep in our minds a lively remembrance of THAT GREAT DAY, in which we must give a strict account of our thoughts, words, and actions to HIM+ Whom+ THOU hast appointed the JUDGE of the living and the dead, Thy Son, JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

Amen.