Morning Dedication

Dearest Lord,

 As I cross the threshold of this day I commit myself, soul, body, affairs, friends, to thy care; watch over, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless me.
Incline my heart to thy ways; mould me wholly into the image of Jesus, as a potter forms clay; let those around see me living by thy Spirit,
trampling the world underfoot,
unconformed to lying vanities,
transformed by a renewed mind,
clad in the entire armour of God,
shining as a never-dimmed light,
showing holiness in all my doings.
Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands. 
May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain. 
In needful transactions let my affection be in heaven, and my love soar upwards in flames of fire, my gaze fixed on unseen things, my eyes open to the emptiness, fragility, mockery of earth and its vanities.
May I view all things in the mirror of eternity, waiting for the coming of my Lord, listening for the last trumpet call, hastening unto the new heaven and earth. 
Order this day all my communications according to thy wisdom, and to the gain of mutual good. 
Forbid that I should not be profited or made profitable. 
May I speak each word as if my last word, and walk each step as my final one. If my life should end today, let this be my best day. 

This prayer can be found in The Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett. Valley of Vision is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. This prayer is entitled Morning Dedication.

Joy, joy, sweet, elusive joy

Joy. It is what makes us stand out from the world around us.

Joy is always available to those indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which is why gloominess is a copout.

Joy and Christ-centeredness go hand-in-hand, so if we lack joy more often than we have it might the truth be that we aren’t Christ-centered? Surely, for some of us, it is. Even those of us going through a season of darkness can pursue joy, trusting that God designed us for it. Sooner or later, in Christ, we will find it. The trick for some of us is to change our self-oriented, worldly focus to Christ, and for others it is to take a fresh hold of God’s promises that no matter how dark life seems, he is going to push you out into the light.

These wise (and tough) words are from a small devotional entitled joy a godly woman’s adornment (the title is all lowercase) by Lydia Brownback. I haven’t read very far yet, but so far so worthy. I’m thinking that this is the type of book one needs to give away - and often.

And the title.

Isn’t the title wonderful. It even caught my husband’s eye.

Joy can seem to be so elusive, so easily stolen or lost. How I long to constantly be adorned with joy.

Adorned with it.

Clothed in it.

Crowned by it.

Filled with it.

Do not let your adorning be external...but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with imperishable beauty... -1 Peter 3:3-4

Moodiness, which comes upon me every so often, is my foe. I try to fight it but there are times when I seem to forget that I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

There have been times when I’ve thought that I’ve lost my “joy” (as though I own it or can produce it myself). I’ve complained about it. Valleys. But it is at such times (and many others) that my husband is so very good about taking me to task…one of the blessings (or not, depending on my mood) of being married to a godly man who is also a student and teacher of the Word.

A little more from the book…

No matter what we give up for the sake of Christ and knowing God better, joy is going to result. Initially, it might not seem that way. The man in the parable (Matthew 13:44) had to sell all he had in order to buy the field. The time of sale is usually where we are tempted to stop. We find the kingdom of heaven, but we don’t go all out to possess it fully and to let it possess us. We want Jesus but not necessarily costly discipleship. We want a kind heavenly Father, but not a disciplining one. We want our character bettered but not transformed. We want the benefits of Christianity without the cost, a price we must pay if we would go the whole way into the Christian life. … Fence-sitters can’t know the joy of the man in the parable. Holding back is a joy killer. … When we are facing death of self, the costliness of discipleship, we are likely to pull back unless we remember the promise we have been given about how it will all turn out. The man in Jesus’ parable wound up owning the field. And Jesus said that those who lose their lives - all the earthly things they lean on for happiness and security - will find what they have been looking for all along. God will see to that.-from Joy a godly woman’s adornment by Lydia Brownback

O Christ, All thy ways of mercy tend to and end in my delight. Thou didst weep, sorrow, suffer that I might rejoice. For my joy thou hast sent the Comforter, multiplied thy promises, shown me my future happiness, given me a living fountain. Thou are preparing joy for me and me for joy; I pray for joy, wait for joy, long for joy; give me more than I can hold, desire, or think of. Measure out to me my times and degrees of joy, at my work, business, duties. If I weep at night, give me joy in the morning. -from The Valley of Vision/Joy

Lord, adorn me in joy. Amen.

Regeneration

O God…

occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme,
lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine for ever.

Thou art worthy to be praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul,
served with my every act of life.

Thou hast loved me, espoused me, received me,
purchased, washed, favored, clothed, adorned me,
when I was worthless, vile, soiled, polluted.

I was dead in iniquities,
having no eyes to see thee,
no ears to hear thee,
no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee;

But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide, solace, joy.

Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me from thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly.

O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.

Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
Let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,
That henceforth I may be salt of the earth and a blessing to all.

-This prayer and many other Puritan prayers can be found in The Valley of Vision

Q. 33. What is a change of heart called?

A. Regneration

-from A Catechism for Boys and Girls

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. -Titus 3:4-7