Archive for September, 2009

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Psalm 57:5 & Tozer’s Prayer

September 10, 2009

Psalm 57:5 says, “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above the earth.”

“O God, be Thou exalted over my possessions.  Nothing of earth’s treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life.

“Be Thou exalted over my friendships.  I am determined that  Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth.

“Be Thou exalted above my comforts.  Thought it mean the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee.

“Be Thou exalted over my reputation.  Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream.  Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself.

“Let me decrease that Thou mayest increase, let me sink that Thou mayest rise above.  Ride forth upon me as Thou didst ride into Jerusalem mounted upon a the humblest little beast, a colt, the foal of an ass, and let me hear the children cry to Thee, ‘Hosanna in the highest.’”

A. W. Tozer, “Restoring the Creator-Creature Relation,” The Pursuit after God

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Self-Examination & the Christian

September 8, 2009

2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.”

What a potent challenge!  We need to look inward not outward to examine ourselves—not others.  What are some examination question we might ask ourselves?

1. Do I believe in one God, and one Faith, and one way to God in Jesus Christ?

2. Am I filled with the Holy Spirit of God, received in faith, at the time of my baptism?

3. Do I allow biblical values/ethics/morals to trump my own personal values/ethics/morals?

4. Do I, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, share my faith with those around me who do not know God?

5.  Am I filled with compassion, rather than judgment, when faced with suffering people in need?

6. Do I respond to suffering with generosity—serving and giving to those in need?

7. Do I love the Church, the Bride of Christ, despite her spots/blemishes/sins?  Do I believe that He is perfecting and preparing her for eternity?

8. Am I more godly and Christ-like today than I was yesterday, more this year than last year; more than I was before I met Christ?

These are just some of the questions that I might need to ask myself?  You might come up with a similar or dissimilar list of questions, but the point remains that we have a responsibility to “test/examine” ourselves to see if we “are in the faith.”

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