New Year’s Darkness

In the daily devotional A Year With Thomas Merton, the reading for today is entitled New Year’s Darkness. Merton writes about the darkness of January and the fact that it had not only been snowing in Kentucky, but the snow mixed with rain made it seem even more dark. But, he finishes the entry by commenting on the peace he also senses in the darkness. He concludes that he would be “foolish to leave such peace with no reason.”

Can we find peace in the midst of darkness?

That’s a question I’ve been asking myself over the past few months. In the midst of darkness when it seems God is no longer speaking or giving direction, can we actually find peace? I have to say the answer is “yes”. But only if we know our peace comes from God at all times. The mystics called it the dark night of the soul. When God is in the refining process of the saint. How we respond to such a dark night determines how long the dark night will last. Or at least that’s what I used to think. Do we respond with despair? Do we respond with anguish? Do we respond with peace? I’ve come to the conclusion that the dark night of the soul might also be a safe place. After all, since we know God will never leave us nor forsake us, we can also find great peace and comfort that even in the darkness, He is faithfully watching over us.

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Go And Sin No More

“And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, for there is no sin in Him. So if we continue to live in Him, we won’t sin either.”
1 John 3:5-6

Wow! Think about that. John is telling us there that if we “live in Jesus we won’t sin.” Let that sink in for a few moments. Many eject from the idea of holiness by having what I call a Paul complex. The Apostle Paul declared that he was the “chief of all sinners.” As a result many today excuse the sin in their life by saying they are just like Paul. But, who are we following? Paul? Or Jesus?

A life of holiness is a life of “sinning no more.” When defining Christian perfection John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, said it’s not that we are “without” sin. But we do “sin no more.” When we are in Christ, “we won’t sin.” When we find ourselves struggling with sin, or doing what we know is not pleasing to God, we ask forgiveness, and receive His grace to sin no more in that particular area of our life.

That’s precisely what Andrew Murray is getting at today in the daily journal – The Best of Andrew Murray on Prayer.

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A Mirror Image

“The Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature.”
Hebrews 1:3

The Andrew Murray reading for today discusses the letter to the Hebrews. Murray quotes 13:20-21 where we read – “May the God of peace…equip you with all you need for doing his will. May He produce in you…all that is pleasing to Him.”

What does it mean to attain Christian perfection? Is this even something we can attain? Murray writes…

“The thought of being totally equipped to please Him is too high. The promise is too large. And yet, the promise remains, stimulating our faith.”

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