Many people consider Jesus a "great teacher" and spiritual leader on the par with the Buddha, Mohammed, and the famous Indian gurus. But they will not admit that He is the Incarnate Son of God -- God made flesh and dwelling among us.
However, I wonder if these people have ever considered that not one of the world's religious teachers have ever said the things Jesus said:
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Other teachers have pointed the way to the truth and the life, but they did not proclaim themselves as "The Way, The Truth, and The Life."
Anyone who comes to me, even though he die, will live. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die....I am the resurrection and the life. No wonder the Jews wanted to stone him for blasphemy. Who would dare to make these claims unless they were true?
Unless you eat my Body and drink my Blood, you will have no life in you. To put these words in the mouth of any other spiritual leader would be horrible. Only Jesus has the power to make these statements and to make them actually effective, or "do-able."
The Father and I are One. Humility would prevent any other person, no matter how spiritual, from saying this -- only Jesus could proclaim that He and the Father are One. The doctrine of the Trinity makes the Incarnation possible.
If anyone will keep my word, the Father and I will come to him and dwell with him. What an amazing promise! I cannot imagine any guru or teacher in the world saying such a thing.
The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Wow! "Lord of the Sabbath"!
I am with you always, even to the consummation of the world. No one born of 'the will of a father' can make such a statement.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. How many teachers of the world would have wished to baptize with the Holy Spirit, and change the world forever. And yet, unless they baptize in the name of Jesus Christ, they cannot baptize with the Holy Spirit.
To all who come to Him, He gives the power to become children of God. Again, with any other teacher, who would not wish to give others the right, the power, the ability to become children of God. Jesus is the only gateway into eternal life; He alone has the power to forgive sins and to transform lives into the image and spirit of His Father. And so He does: The Father works even until now, and I work also.
Thank God He sent His very Son to redeem us from the bondage of sin and separation! For other teachers can appeal to our emotions and to our minds, but only the Son of God Himself can change our inner man.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Friday, July 8, 2016
A Final Word About Prayer
I have been writing about prayer, but everything I have said is simply an "aid" to prayer, a way of waiting upon the Holy Spirit, Who Himself will teach us to pray. Romans 12:1 says, "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- which is your spiritual worship. ... then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--- his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
When we come to pray, this is what we are doing -- offering ourselves to God, who then can perfect His will in our lives. At the well, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." When we come to pray, we are asking for living water to spring up within us, to carry us along as a bubbling brook. Teresa of Avila instructed her sisters in prayer by telling them that at first, prayer is like drawing up and hauling water by hand to our garden, but soon it begins to be easier to draw the water from the depths of the earth, and then at last, it flows out without any effort of our own.
And her analogy exactly matches the description in Sirach 24 of "the book of the covenant of God Most High:" It sends out wisdom in full flood like the river Pishon, or like the Tigris at the time of firstfruits; it overflows like the Euphrates with understanding or like the Jordan at the season of harvest. It pours forth instruction like the Nile, like the Gihon at the time of vintage. No one has ever known wisdom fully and from first to last no one has fathomed her, for her thoughts are vaster than the ocean, her purpose more profound than the great abyss.
As for me, I was like a watercourse leading from a river, like a conduit into a pleasure garden. I said, "I will water my garden, soaking its flower bed"; all at once my watercourse became a river, and my river a sea.....Truly, I have not toiled for myself alone but for all who seek wisdom.
When we come to pray, this is what we are doing -- offering ourselves to God, who then can perfect His will in our lives. At the well, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." When we come to pray, we are asking for living water to spring up within us, to carry us along as a bubbling brook. Teresa of Avila instructed her sisters in prayer by telling them that at first, prayer is like drawing up and hauling water by hand to our garden, but soon it begins to be easier to draw the water from the depths of the earth, and then at last, it flows out without any effort of our own.
And her analogy exactly matches the description in Sirach 24 of "the book of the covenant of God Most High:" It sends out wisdom in full flood like the river Pishon, or like the Tigris at the time of firstfruits; it overflows like the Euphrates with understanding or like the Jordan at the season of harvest. It pours forth instruction like the Nile, like the Gihon at the time of vintage. No one has ever known wisdom fully and from first to last no one has fathomed her, for her thoughts are vaster than the ocean, her purpose more profound than the great abyss.
As for me, I was like a watercourse leading from a river, like a conduit into a pleasure garden. I said, "I will water my garden, soaking its flower bed"; all at once my watercourse became a river, and my river a sea.....Truly, I have not toiled for myself alone but for all who seek wisdom.
Jesus told us that the Father would not fail to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. When we come to pray, we are asking for this great Gift of God -- the Holy Spirit, Who aids us in our weakness. Indeed, He is called The Helper, the Advocate, the Paraclete for that reason. It is He Who leads us in prayer, and when He comes, our effort ceases. St. Augustine said, "Pray as you can, not as you can't." Good advice, for the Spirit leads each of us according to His knowledge and wisdom, and no two of us will pray in exactly the same way.
Prayer is worth whatever effort it takes to begin to develop the habit of what Teresa of Avila calls "a loving conversation with One Who we know loves us." When we are engaged in conversation, whether deep or superficial, with someone who loves us, it is not an effort, and we don't worry that we are not doing it "right." It just flows. That is our aim in prayer -- just conversation with our Father, in the Son, through the Holy Spirit. And the results of prayer are so worth it. Isaiah 58:11 says, The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
When we come to pray, if all we do at first is to stare at the above passage, I guarantee the deep waters of prayer will begin to flow within you.
Prayer is worth whatever effort it takes to begin to develop the habit of what Teresa of Avila calls "a loving conversation with One Who we know loves us." When we are engaged in conversation, whether deep or superficial, with someone who loves us, it is not an effort, and we don't worry that we are not doing it "right." It just flows. That is our aim in prayer -- just conversation with our Father, in the Son, through the Holy Spirit. And the results of prayer are so worth it. Isaiah 58:11 says, The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
When we come to pray, if all we do at first is to stare at the above passage, I guarantee the deep waters of prayer will begin to flow within you.
A Final Word About Prayer
I have been writing about prayer, but everything I have said is simply an "aid" to prayer, a way of waiting upon the Holy Spirit, Who Himself will teach us to pray. Romans 12:1 says, "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- which is your spiritual worship. ... then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--- his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
When we come to pray, this is what we are doing -- offering ourselves to God, who then can perfect His will in our lives. At the well, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." When we come to pray, we are asking for living water to spring up within us, to carry us along as a bubbling brook. Teresa of Avila instructed her sisters in prayer by telling them that at first, prayer is like drawing up and hauling water by hand to our garden, but soon it begins to be easier to draw the water from the depths of the earth, and then at last, it flows out without any effort of our own.
And her analogy exactly matches the description in Sirach 24 of "the book of the covenant of God Most High:" It sends out wisdom in full flood like the river Pishon, or like the Tigris at the time of firstfruits; it overflows like the Euphrates with understanding or like the Jordan at the season of harvest. It pours forth instruction like the Nile, like the Gihon at the time of vintage. No one has ever known wisdom fully and from first to last no one has fathomed her, for her thoughts are vaster than the ocean, her purpose more profound than the great abyss.
As for me, I was like a watercourse leading from a river, like a conduit into a pleasure garden. I said, "I will water my garden, soaking its flower bed"; all at once my watercourse became a river, and my river a sea.....Truly, I have not toiled for myself alone but for all who seek wisdom.
When we come to pray, this is what we are doing -- offering ourselves to God, who then can perfect His will in our lives. At the well, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." When we come to pray, we are asking for living water to spring up within us, to carry us along as a bubbling brook. Teresa of Avila instructed her sisters in prayer by telling them that at first, prayer is like drawing up and hauling water by hand to our garden, but soon it begins to be easier to draw the water from the depths of the earth, and then at last, it flows out without any effort of our own.
And her analogy exactly matches the description in Sirach 24 of "the book of the covenant of God Most High:" It sends out wisdom in full flood like the river Pishon, or like the Tigris at the time of firstfruits; it overflows like the Euphrates with understanding or like the Jordan at the season of harvest. It pours forth instruction like the Nile, like the Gihon at the time of vintage. No one has ever known wisdom fully and from first to last no one has fathomed her, for her thoughts are vaster than the ocean, her purpose more profound than the great abyss.
As for me, I was like a watercourse leading from a river, like a conduit into a pleasure garden. I said, "I will water my garden, soaking its flower bed"; all at once my watercourse became a river, and my river a sea.....Truly, I have not toiled for myself alone but for all who seek wisdom.
Jesus told us that the Father would not fail to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. When we come to pray, we are asking for this great Gift of God -- the Holy Spirit, Who aids us in our weakness. Indeed, He is called The Helper, the Advocate, the Paraclete for that reason. It is He Who leads us in prayer, and when He comes, our effort ceases. St. Augustine said, "Pray as you can, not as you can't." Good advice, for the Spirit leads each of us according to His knowledge and wisdom, and no two of us will pray in exactly the same way.
Prayer is worth whatever effort it takes to begin to develop the habit of what Teresa of Avila calls "a loving conversation with One Who we know loves us." When we are engaged in conversation, whether deep or superficial, with someone who loves us, it is not an effort, and we don't worry that we are not doing it "right." It just flows. That is our aim in prayer -- just conversation with our Father, in the Son, through the Holy Spirit. And the results of prayer are so worth it. Isaiah 58:11 says, The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
When we come to pray, if all we do at first is to stare at the above passage, I guarantee the deep waters of prayer will begin to flow within you.
Prayer is worth whatever effort it takes to begin to develop the habit of what Teresa of Avila calls "a loving conversation with One Who we know loves us." When we are engaged in conversation, whether deep or superficial, with someone who loves us, it is not an effort, and we don't worry that we are not doing it "right." It just flows. That is our aim in prayer -- just conversation with our Father, in the Son, through the Holy Spirit. And the results of prayer are so worth it. Isaiah 58:11 says, The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
When we come to pray, if all we do at first is to stare at the above passage, I guarantee the deep waters of prayer will begin to flow within you.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
When "Thank You" is not Enough
Those who do not know God are those who refuse to turn to Him. (Bernard of Clairvaux)
In my last entry, I recommended, before anything else, addressing the God to whom we are praying: O Wisdom! O Truth! O Holiness and Goodness! Mercy and Kindness! Justice! The One Who sees me! The One Who hears me! If we do not yet know God the Father, we can address our prayer to Jesus Christ, Who comes to reveal to us Who God Is. Our destiny is to know intimately the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ -- the One of Whom He spoke when He said, "The Father and I are One." Once we begin to address Jesus -- and we have the words of Scripture to help us in our weakness -- we enter into the Presence of God: You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life! You are the Good Shepherd! You are the Son of the Living God! You are the Word of God made flesh! You will never reject those who come to You!
Entering into the Presence of God, we stand silent. Ultimately, the only thing we can say is "Thank You," and it is not enough. When we finally see Who God Is, Who He has been to us all the days of our lives, our gratitude cannot be expressed. We are mute before Him. And that is really the best prayer of all. When we try to say what is on our hearts, words fail us. But how necessary it is for us to remember all that God has done for us! Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior! ....for He has done great things for me!"
The Psalms both teach us to recall the great things God has done for us, and at the same time remind us of the dangers of forgetting His deeds toward us. Psalm 106 is worth studying for its progression or slide into idolatry -- just by failing to remember what God has done. In the margin of my Bible, I once made a list of the results of forgetting what God has done: They forgot what God had done; they gave in to craving and grew envious; they worshipped idols, and despised His inheritance. They did not believe His promise, and grumbled in their tents. They did not obey the Lord, and yoked themselves to Baal, sacrificing to lifeless gods. (There is a parallel list in Romans, chapter 1, for those who are interested.)
The next "great step" in prayer is to recall all that God has done for us. And here we have Psalm 103 to guide our thinking and our prayer. The Psalmist is addressing his own soul in this Psalm -- that is, he is speaking to his mind and his emotions: Praise the Lord, O my soul; and all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Reading this psalm in two translations should take us directly into profound prayer, especially if we can remain in David's mindset of speaking to our own mind and heart: He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases; He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. He satisfies your desires with good thing, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. If these words do not lead us into praise, thanksgiving, and worship, we are hard indeed!
And that brings me into another great help to prayer: the words of Scripture. They are there for us; we fail to use them daily. Once we have created a 'sacred space,' a place to pray, once we have entered into the Presence of God by acknowledging Who He Is, the Scriptures will lead us deeper into prayer. The Holy Spirit hovers over all our reading and study, to bring the words to life for us. The Word of God is our great Teacher and Mentor in prayer. It gives us words beyond our own; it teaches us the ways of God; it ministers life to our dead souls. Every prayer space needs a bible close at hand -- even if the one praying does not yet read the bible.
St. Augustine was wrestling in spirit and in truth with the great truths of Scripture as taught to him by Ambrose. But he could not bring himself to submit his life and his treasures to what he knew to be true. And he heard a child singing, "Take and read; take and read." Fortunately, he had the Scriptures close at hand. Picking up the scroll, he read the words which changed his life: "Put on Christ Jesus, and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh." Now the word of God does not only "say" truth, but it carries within itself the power to do truth. In that moment, Augustine received the grace to finally do what the Word said. And the same is true of us. If the Scripture is near at hand during our time of prayer, the Holy Spirit will direct not only our reading, but our response to the sacred words -- and we will finally bow our heads, our hearts, our minds, and our wills to the Word.
Entering into the Presence of God, we stand silent. Ultimately, the only thing we can say is "Thank You," and it is not enough. When we finally see Who God Is, Who He has been to us all the days of our lives, our gratitude cannot be expressed. We are mute before Him. And that is really the best prayer of all. When we try to say what is on our hearts, words fail us. But how necessary it is for us to remember all that God has done for us! Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior! ....for He has done great things for me!"
The Psalms both teach us to recall the great things God has done for us, and at the same time remind us of the dangers of forgetting His deeds toward us. Psalm 106 is worth studying for its progression or slide into idolatry -- just by failing to remember what God has done. In the margin of my Bible, I once made a list of the results of forgetting what God has done: They forgot what God had done; they gave in to craving and grew envious; they worshipped idols, and despised His inheritance. They did not believe His promise, and grumbled in their tents. They did not obey the Lord, and yoked themselves to Baal, sacrificing to lifeless gods. (There is a parallel list in Romans, chapter 1, for those who are interested.)
The next "great step" in prayer is to recall all that God has done for us. And here we have Psalm 103 to guide our thinking and our prayer. The Psalmist is addressing his own soul in this Psalm -- that is, he is speaking to his mind and his emotions: Praise the Lord, O my soul; and all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Reading this psalm in two translations should take us directly into profound prayer, especially if we can remain in David's mindset of speaking to our own mind and heart: He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases; He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. He satisfies your desires with good thing, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. If these words do not lead us into praise, thanksgiving, and worship, we are hard indeed!
And that brings me into another great help to prayer: the words of Scripture. They are there for us; we fail to use them daily. Once we have created a 'sacred space,' a place to pray, once we have entered into the Presence of God by acknowledging Who He Is, the Scriptures will lead us deeper into prayer. The Holy Spirit hovers over all our reading and study, to bring the words to life for us. The Word of God is our great Teacher and Mentor in prayer. It gives us words beyond our own; it teaches us the ways of God; it ministers life to our dead souls. Every prayer space needs a bible close at hand -- even if the one praying does not yet read the bible.
St. Augustine was wrestling in spirit and in truth with the great truths of Scripture as taught to him by Ambrose. But he could not bring himself to submit his life and his treasures to what he knew to be true. And he heard a child singing, "Take and read; take and read." Fortunately, he had the Scriptures close at hand. Picking up the scroll, he read the words which changed his life: "Put on Christ Jesus, and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh." Now the word of God does not only "say" truth, but it carries within itself the power to do truth. In that moment, Augustine received the grace to finally do what the Word said. And the same is true of us. If the Scripture is near at hand during our time of prayer, the Holy Spirit will direct not only our reading, but our response to the sacred words -- and we will finally bow our heads, our hearts, our minds, and our wills to the Word.
When "Thank You" is not Enough
Those who do not know God are those who refuse to turn to Him. (Bernard of Clairvaux)
In my last entry, I recommended, before anything else, addressing the God to whom we are praying: O Wisdom! O Truth! O Holiness and Goodness! Mercy and Kindness! Justice! The One Who sees me! The One Who hears me! If we do not yet know God the Father, we can address our prayer to Jesus Christ, Who comes to reveal to us Who God Is. Our destiny is to know intimately the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ -- the One of Whom He spoke when He said, "The Father and I are One." Once we begin to address Jesus -- and we have the words of Scripture to help us in our weakness -- we enter into the Presence of God: You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life! You are the Good Shepherd! You are the Son of the Living God! You are the Word of God made flesh! You will never reject those who come to You!
Entering into the Presence of God, we stand silent. Ultimately, the only thing we can say is "Thank You," and it is not enough. When we finally see Who God Is, Who He has been to us all the days of our lives, our gratitude cannot be expressed. We are mute before Him. And that is really the best prayer of all. When we try to say what is on our hearts, words fail us. But how necessary it is for us to remember all that God has done for us! Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior! ....for He has done great things for me!"
The Psalms both teach us to recall the great things God has done for us, and at the same time remind us of the dangers of forgetting His deeds toward us. Psalm 106 is worth studying for its progression or slide into idolatry -- just by failing to remember what God has done. In the margin of my Bible, I once made a list of the results of forgetting what God has done: They forgot what God had done; they gave in to craving and grew envious; they worshipped idols, and despised His inheritance. They did not believe His promise, and grumbled in their tents. They did not obey the Lord, and yoked themselves to Baal, sacrificing to lifeless gods. (There is a parallel list in Romans, chapter 1, for those who are interested.)
The next "great step" in prayer is to recall all that God has done for us. And here we have Psalm 103 to guide our thinking and our prayer. The Psalmist is addressing his own soul in this Psalm -- that is, he is speaking to his mind and his emotions: Praise the Lord, O my soul; and all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Reading this psalm in two translations should take us directly into profound prayer, especially if we can remain in David's mindset of speaking to our own mind and heart: He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases; He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. He satisfies your desires with good thing, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. If these words do not lead us into praise, thanksgiving, and worship, we are hard indeed!
And that brings me into another great help to prayer: the words of Scripture. They are there for us; we fail to use them daily. Once we have created a 'sacred space,' a place to pray, once we have entered into the Presence of God by acknowledging Who He Is, the Scriptures will lead us deeper into prayer. The Holy Spirit hovers over all our reading and study, to bring the words to life for us. The Word of God is our great Teacher and Mentor in prayer. It gives us words beyond our own; it teaches us the ways of God; it ministers life to our dead souls. Every prayer space needs a bible close at hand -- even if the one praying does not yet read the bible.
St. Augustine was wrestling in spirit and in truth with the great truths of Scripture as taught to him by Ambrose. But he could not bring himself to submit his life and his treasures to what he knew to be true. And he heard a child singing, "Take and read; take and read." Fortunately, he had the Scriptures close at hand. Picking up the scroll, he read the words which changed his life: "Put on Christ Jesus, and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh." Now the word of God does not only "say" truth, but it carries within itself the power to do truth. In that moment, Augustine received the grace to finally do what the Word said. And the same is true of us. If the Scripture is near at hand during our time of prayer, the Holy Spirit will direct not only our reading, but our response to the sacred words -- and we will finally bow our heads, our hearts, our minds, and our wills to the Word.
Entering into the Presence of God, we stand silent. Ultimately, the only thing we can say is "Thank You," and it is not enough. When we finally see Who God Is, Who He has been to us all the days of our lives, our gratitude cannot be expressed. We are mute before Him. And that is really the best prayer of all. When we try to say what is on our hearts, words fail us. But how necessary it is for us to remember all that God has done for us! Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior! ....for He has done great things for me!"
The Psalms both teach us to recall the great things God has done for us, and at the same time remind us of the dangers of forgetting His deeds toward us. Psalm 106 is worth studying for its progression or slide into idolatry -- just by failing to remember what God has done. In the margin of my Bible, I once made a list of the results of forgetting what God has done: They forgot what God had done; they gave in to craving and grew envious; they worshipped idols, and despised His inheritance. They did not believe His promise, and grumbled in their tents. They did not obey the Lord, and yoked themselves to Baal, sacrificing to lifeless gods. (There is a parallel list in Romans, chapter 1, for those who are interested.)
The next "great step" in prayer is to recall all that God has done for us. And here we have Psalm 103 to guide our thinking and our prayer. The Psalmist is addressing his own soul in this Psalm -- that is, he is speaking to his mind and his emotions: Praise the Lord, O my soul; and all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Reading this psalm in two translations should take us directly into profound prayer, especially if we can remain in David's mindset of speaking to our own mind and heart: He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases; He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. He satisfies your desires with good thing, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. If these words do not lead us into praise, thanksgiving, and worship, we are hard indeed!
And that brings me into another great help to prayer: the words of Scripture. They are there for us; we fail to use them daily. Once we have created a 'sacred space,' a place to pray, once we have entered into the Presence of God by acknowledging Who He Is, the Scriptures will lead us deeper into prayer. The Holy Spirit hovers over all our reading and study, to bring the words to life for us. The Word of God is our great Teacher and Mentor in prayer. It gives us words beyond our own; it teaches us the ways of God; it ministers life to our dead souls. Every prayer space needs a bible close at hand -- even if the one praying does not yet read the bible.
St. Augustine was wrestling in spirit and in truth with the great truths of Scripture as taught to him by Ambrose. But he could not bring himself to submit his life and his treasures to what he knew to be true. And he heard a child singing, "Take and read; take and read." Fortunately, he had the Scriptures close at hand. Picking up the scroll, he read the words which changed his life: "Put on Christ Jesus, and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh." Now the word of God does not only "say" truth, but it carries within itself the power to do truth. In that moment, Augustine received the grace to finally do what the Word said. And the same is true of us. If the Scripture is near at hand during our time of prayer, the Holy Spirit will direct not only our reading, but our response to the sacred words -- and we will finally bow our heads, our hearts, our minds, and our wills to the Word.
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