Meditation
Written by Philip Yancey, a contemporary Christian author. This is an excerpt from his book “Discovering God.”
Even Jesus’ closest disciples had trouble swallowing his teaching that money represents grave danger. Yet Jesus sternly warned that wealth can keep people from the kingdom of God by tempting them to depend on themselves rather than on God. Not only wealth, but any form of pride or self-dependence tends to lead away from God. An effort to become “holy,” for example, may accomplish just the opposite if it results in spiritual pride and a feeling of superiority. Human beings have an incurable tendency to feed their own egos, to take credit, to compete. The way to God, said Jesus, is just the opposite: Trust God like a little child, admit wrong, let go.
Prayer
A Puritan prayer from the book “The Valley of Vision.”
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley.
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