disciplines for the inner life
Years ago, my friend, Mitzi gave me a wonderful book. To this day, I adore going through it and finding such rich truths. The format is practical and can be taken in bite-sized pieces. The book is called Disciplines for the Inner Life by Bob Benson, Sr. and Michael W. Benson. It is set up in five sections: Disciplines for the Inner Journey, Obstacles to the Inner Life, Patterns for Living Inwardly, Inward Graces of the Centered Life, and Outward Fruits of the Inner Life. Under each section is a handful of topics. Within each topic, you have an invocation (opening prayer), psalm, daily scripture, selections for meditations (excerpts from various authors, speakers, pastors, giants of the faith), personal meditation, hymn and closing prayer. It is so rich!!
Last week I did "Spiritual Partners". I am so challenged in the ways of relationships and friendship and faithfulness to God by being in fellowship with others.
This week, I've begun "Faith in the Process". Here is what I tackled today:
Invocation: "Father, I thank You for this day, for what it shall bring, opportunities, life, hope, strength. And for what it may take away. Teach me to trush You in the comings and the goings of life. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Psalm 107
Hebrews 11:1-12:3
Hymn: "Day by Day" by Lina Sandell and Oscar Ahnfelt
Selections for Meditation: an excerpt from Ask Him Anything by Lloyd Ogilvie and an exerpt from Tracks of a Fellow Struggler by John Claypool. I'd like to share a bit from John Claypool's words:
"The Bible arranges life and thought in just that sequence. We are called on to live passionately and openly and then to use our minds to try to understand and interpret what we have experienced. In this way life moves on and whatever insight is possible is born.
We do not first get all the answers and then live in light of our understanding. We must rather plunge into life - meeting what we have to meet and experiencing what we have to experience - and in the light of living try to understand. If insight comes at all, it will not be before, but only through and after experience."
I pray that God will allow us insight into our circumstances but if He does not, I dearly pray that we are faithful to share our experiences with others and look forward to the fulfillment of His promises. Faith - got to have it to please God.
sim
4 comments:
Wow! Awesome! I may need to get my hands on that book. Simri, my Mom has been singing "Day by Day" to me since Friday. I've needed that encouragement through our crazy journey. So fun when God makes it pop up in other avenues of our life!!
sim, thank you for such encouraging words! i for sure want to get a copy of that book...i have heard you comment about it before. sounds like a wonderful book. love you sim, angie
Those are such great thoughts. I am going to look into getting that book!
Thanks for sharing this! Once I finished reading your post, I opened up to Psalm 107. It has been an amazing Scripture to encourage me and to encourage others. I have referenced it often to some friends just today and yesterday! His word truly heals! Thank you, Simri!
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