I guess that I should not have expected anything different when I asked that you pray for me. I should have realized that I was really challenging Satan and my own weaknesses to rise up against me to thwart my intentions. Let me share with you what happened on Tuesday that resulted in my failure to blog.
On Monday night (12/08/08) after asking for your prayers, I had a wonderful time with God and posted that day's devotional entry. By the time I was done, it was uncharacteristically late for me but I wasn't sleepy. I guess that's what God-talk will do for you!
Anyway, I picked up a book "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis thinking I would read a couple of chapters. Call me stupid because I wound up reading the entire book. Great book and reading is good but in this instance, the good helped to impede the great. That's one.
Next, at 4:30AM the alarm system for the house I am staying in went off. It launched me out of bed in a way that can only be described as excruciating. It took the better part of the next hour to go back to sleep. The smart thing would have been to just get up at 4:30 but nooooo, I laid there till sleep overtook me again. That's two.
Then when the alarm went off, calling me to my devotional time, I turned it off and regained the hour of sleep that I missed between 4:30 and 5:30. As a result I wound up missing my devotional and then I was also late for work because I forgot about Houston traffic. That's three.
But wait, there's more! After work, I went to a Rocket's game with a couple of friends. That was a good thing but again, something good impeded the great. After the game, I drove back to where I was staying and arrived at 10:45PM. I was committed to my devotional and posting. So... I fired up the laptop, launched my Bible software and had my time with God. Whew! at 11:20PM, I decided to blog my devotional. Only I discovered that the network at the house was down. I went to bed convinced that I would be more careful about my prayer requests in the future and set the alarm an hour earlier so I could get a fresh start today. Oh the folly of pride!
Killed the alarm this morning and snoozed an extra half-hour. Stupid. Discovered the network was still down so decided to go to the office to have my devotional time. Stupid. Stuck in traffic for an hour. Figures. Got to the office, opened my toolset and then looked at my e-mail. STUPID! It amazes me how weak I can be!
Anyway, it's now 8:56AM and I HAVE to get to work. So, my devotional time must be moved to later in the day... can you see it coming? I conspire against myself! Grrrrrrr.
Keep on praying cause I know the struggles are trying to block something great. The Spirit can break the logjam.
Love ya,
Carl
Jan 21, 2025 … Flying Thru the Headwinds
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*Jan 21, 2025 … Flying Thru the Headwinds *
*Devotional Song**: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... * Please take the time to take
in this song with music and lyr...
22 hours ago
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Carl, I found it fascinating that you reported that one element leading you away from sleep and into temptation was the reading of Lewis' Great Divorce."
What irony I find in this! Do you recall in Chapter 11 of that book the account of the interaction between the "ghost" who had the little red lizard (of lust) on his shoulder and the Angel who desired to kill the lizard.
Some time back at a conference in Kansas City I heard a Catholic speaker, Christopher West, use that story as an example as he discussed the need for men of God who desired to be Godly men to allow God's Spirit to kill the "lizard of lust" in their lives so that the steed of power could be birthed within them.
Right at the end of Chapter 11, the seeker learns this from "The Teacher."
'I don't know about all, Sir,' said I. 'Am I right in thinking the Lizard really turned into a Horse?' ... 'Aye, But it was killed first. Ye'll not forget that part of the story?' ... 'I'll try not to, Sir. but does it mean that everything - everything - that is in us can go on to the Mountains?' ...
'Nothing, not even the best and noblest, can go on as it now is. Nothing, not even what is lowest and most bestial, will not be raised again if it submits to death. It is sown a natural body; it is rased a spiritual body. Flesh and blood cannot come to the Mountains. Not because they are too rank, but because they are too weak. What is a lizard compared with a stallion? Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed.'
Now that, my dear brother, is powerful writing; and it appears you have been fighting the battle to kill the lizard of laziness who would desire to weigh you down with your own personal desires.
I too am fighting a lizard ... a little red lizard of gluttony ... one who would desire to use my own natural drive for pleasures of the palate to choke my spirit.
We need to let God's Spirit take the fire of His pleasure and kill these lizards, Carl. And I will join you to pray for this lizard killing for both of us. May we both rise from this to ride the steed of God's strenth ... and one day on to the Mountains.
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