October 7
Psalm 119:136
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not they law.
Reverend Hawkins sat at his desk and cried. He had been a good shepherd for his church, and he had given everything he knew to give, but the members of the church had so far to go. In all his years, he had not asked anything special of his congregation, but now he wanted to open their doors as a shelter to vagrants in the area. He was committed to the project to the very depths of his soul, but the church had voted it down by a strong majority. All he had ever tried to teach them was lost. It made him heartsick to think that the Gospel was just a story and not a way of life.
Christian growth comes slowly. Not all Christians operate at the same point at the same time. Very little that Jesus asks or commands in the New Testament is easy. It takes time to learn how to walk the steps of Christ. We may lament that others are not committed in the same ways that we are, but if they are trying their best to follow Jesus, then we need to rejoice at their progress and hope for continued growth in their lives and in our own.
Prayer: I weep for those who have forgotten what it means to follow You, Lord, and I pray that You help me to continue to grow, and that You might use me to help others in their growth. Amen.
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