Sheltered for Holiness

July/Holiness

9 July 2010

The body shelters the soul. The soul shelters the mind. The mind shelters the heart. The heart shelters faith. Faith shelters God. God shelters man.

- Colman mac Beognai, Aipgitir Chrabaid (Irish, 7th century)

You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.

- Psalm 12.7

What is there to be sheltered from? In Psalm 12, all the lies, flattery, deceit, and half-truths of an age that wants only to assert its autonomy ("our lips are our own; who is master over us?", v. 2). Those who espouse such views are quite outspoken and persuasive. The torrent of such views, wafting and blowing over us day by day, exerts a powerful effect on how we think and live.

We need the shelter of God's Word to keep us in the way of holiness, or we will surely be blown off course by this age in flight from God. God's words are pure words (v. 6), and they can make us pure in heart, mind, conscience, and life. But we must shelter in them, seek their protection against the storms of deception and unbelief, and feed on their truths to fortify us.

What does it mean to shelter in the Word of God? Daily reading, meditation, and study. Deep and searching reflection in order to discover how the Scriptures want us to live. Pleading with God for power to resist the steady winds of worldliness and walk uprightly in the path of righteousness. Encouragement from fellow believers. A disciplined self-watch and accompanying repentance and penance.

We will shelter somewhere in this life, and where we shelter - where we harbor - will shape our outlook and way of life. If you are not sheltering in God's Word, where then? What is shaping your mind, influencing your heart, determining your priorities, and validating your daily practices, if not the Word of God?

It's easy to shelter in the world's alluring shade. Sheltering in God's Word is rather more demanding. It is also, however, vastly more rewarding, in particular, for the progress of holiness.

July Exercise, Part 1: Download "Called to Be Witnesses." For the first week (July 1-11), read this little brochure over several times each day. On several days during this period, rate yourself - 1 to 10 - on the two areas, A Way of Life and Empowered for Witness. Talk with the Lord about why you rated yourself the way you did, and look for ways to improve these two aspects of your call to be holy.

Today in ReVision: Miami Bound - LeBron is off to the Heat, and pop culture is off the charts.

This Week's Download: Called to Be Witnesses - Here's a little guide to help you learn how to shelter more effectively in God's Word.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.