Be Thou Exalted

"And he is before all things, and by him all things consist ... That in all things he might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:17-18)

Father, I want to know Thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there.

Lord, how excellent are Thy ways, and how devious and dark are the ways of man. Show us how to die, that we may rise again to newness of life. Rend the veil of our self-life from the top down as Thou didst rend the veil of the Temple. We would draw near in full assurance of faith. We would dwell with Thee in daily experience here on this earth so that we may be accustomed to the glory when we enter Thy heaven to dwell with Thee there.

Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my abitions, above my likes and dislikes. Let me sink that Thou mayest rise above. Amen

~A. W. Tozer~

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Function Joyfully

"In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11)

My Christian brother or sister, thank God always for the blessed gifts of sensitivity and conscience and human choice He has given you. Are you being faithful as a Christian believer where He has placed you?

If God has called you out of darkness into His light, you should be worshiping Him. If He has shown you that you are to show forth the excellencies, the virtues, the beauties of the Lord who has called you, then you should humbly and gladly worship Him with the radiance and the blessing of the Holy Spirit in your life.

It is sad that we humans do not always function joyfully for God in the place He has marked out for us. We may even allow trifling things and minor incidents to disturb our fellowship with God and our spiritual witness for Him who is our Saviour. 

Outward trials and troubles do not cease because the soul is baptized with the Holy Spirit. The disciples abounded in affliction after their sanctification, although they also abounded in joy.

~A. W. Tozer~