“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. “
Psalm 27:4
Life is a battle. Every day. Satan uses my own sin, that of others, events out of my control, sickness, difficulty, persecution and many other things to push me in the wrong direction. There is no end to it.
But I want to tell you that in the midst of this battle there is a great hope: life just gets better and better as we walk with Jesus.
Over the last three years there has been a pronounced upward trend in the trajectory of my life. I think I am experiencing a “J” curve; that is, a graph like the one below which for a long time shows just tiny incremental upward progress before there is rapid growth.
Over the years there has been slow progress in my life as God kept me consistent in quiet times, in memorizing and meditating on Scripture, in personal worship, praise, prayer and in persistent obedience. However, when this incremental progress of the J curve reaches a certain point, it turns a corner and begins to go up more quickly, then radically.
This seems to be what is happening in my life in every area: more growth, more patience, more positiveness, more grace, more joy. Barbara says I have definitely become easier to live with! This is more than just a “J curve,” it is a “Jesus Curve!”
I must hasten to add two things. First, this is of God, not me! I want to “boast in Him.” He is just fulfilling His promises of what He will do if we walk with Him (Psalm 1:1-3).
Second is that as the positives increase, so do the challenges. With more ability comes more responsibility. And with more grace comes more challenge.
One thing that has really stimulated this growth has been seeking to live the truth that “Knowing Jesus is Enough for Joy, Period!” This flows from the truth that: “My soul finds rest in God alone” (Ps. 62:1) —you’ve heard that one a few times before, haven’t you? Repetition of powerful truth is a good thing!
Applying this verse has rooted out a lot of idols, has helped me to “let go” of the temporal, “hold on” to the eternal “and rise above” the everyday hassles as well as bigger challenges.
Today my reading was in Psalm 52 where verses 8 and 9 restate what happens as we faithfully walk with God through the years:
“But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
forever and ever.
Prayer: “Lord, help me to be faithful in cultivating my relationship with you: daily reading in your Word, daily worshiping you, daily confessing and moving ahead by prayer. Move me along on my Jesus Curve at the right speed and keep my eyes on you, seeking not growth, but you. Amen.”
