The Blessing of an Ordered Life

Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God. (Psalm 50: 23)

When the Israelites left their bondage in Egypt God realized the need for them to have structure in their lives, so He gave them the Law. When a man enters the Colony of Mercy he is leaving the bondage of sin as a form of slavery as well. He, too, needs structure in order to bring his chaotic life into some semblance of order. But we live in a culture that rebels against rules of any kind. “Color Outside the Lines,” “No Boundaries” and “Have it Your Way” resound in our ears, as advertising slogans. As a result, we as believers have been taught that ordered living is old-fashioned or, in Christian lingo, legalistic. Did God not tell us to order our prayer life? For example, Daniel lived an incredibly victorious life in extremely adverse conditions. When his enemies sought to trip him up they knew that they could only do so in connection with his ordered prayer life.

While we never want to be obsessive concerning spiritual activities, we do need to be consistent. This is especially true concerning our time of solitude and prayer. A scheduled time alone with our Lord is essential. Some might say I cannot always make time in the morning so I get alone with God some other time of the day. Could you imagine saying to your employer, “I will be into work when I can find some time to do so?” You would be fired immediately . Should we have the audacity to speak to the Supreme Authority with any less respect than we give to human authority?

When our Lord walked on this earth His ministry was far more demanding than anything we will ever know. And yet in the midst of His busiest times He didn’t neglect time alone with His Father. Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight , He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You” (Mark 1: 35-37). Lord, forgive me for not sharing your urgency to spend time alone with the Father. – Chaplain Jim Freed is the Director of the Colony of Mercy

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 6869-6888).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 78-79

Think About This:We are wrong when we say that we must verify God and then we will have faith in him. Faith throws a bridge toward God and finds the divine Reality. Hugh Thomson Kerr

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18