By
A. W. Tozer
January 1
"Your
word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
--Psalm 119:105
"Every
new year is an uncharted and unknown sea. No ship
has ever sailed this way before. The wisest of
earth's sons and daughters cannot tell us what we
may encounter on this journey. Familiarity with the
past may afford us a general idea of what we may
expect, but just where the rocks lie hidden beneath
the surface or when that 'tempestuous wind called
Euroclydon' (Acts 27:14) may sweep down upon us suddenly, no one
can say with certainty....
"Now more than at any other time in generations, the
believer is in a position to go on the offensive.
The world is lost on a wide sea, and Christians
alone know the way to the desired haven. While
things were going well, the world scorned them with
their Bible and hymns, but now the world needs them
desperately, and it needs that despised Bible, too.
For in the Bible, and there only, is found
the chart to tell us where we are going on this
rough and unknown ocean. The day when Christians
should meekly apologize is over; they can get the
world's attention not by trying to please, but by
boldly declaring the truth of divine revelation.
They can make themselves heard not by compromise,
but by taking the affirmative and sturdily
declaring, 'Thus saith the Lord.'"
"Lord, guide me carefully on this uncharted sea
of a new year as I daily seek You in Your
word.... Amen."
January
2
"But
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not
defile himself with the portion of the king's
delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank.."
--Daniel 1:8
"Though
we do not hear much of it in this age of spineless
religion, there is nevertheless much in the Bible
about the place of moral determination in the
service of the Lord. ...
Daniel
"purposed in his heart," and God honored his
purpose. Jesus set his face like a flint and walked
straight toward the cross. Paul "determined not to
know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified,"...
These are only a few of the many men and women of
the Bible who have left us a record of spiritual
greatness born out of a will firmly set to do the
will of God....
Let us, then, set our sails in the will of God. If
we do this we will certainly find ourselves moving
in the right direction, no matter which way the wind
blows.*
"Lord, today I renew the vow I made many years
ago to serve You unreservedly. I'm often pulled
in other directions, but keep me focused and
faithful, undeterred and undefiled. In Jesus'
name, Amen."
From
This World: Playground or Battleground?
(pp. 9-10)
WingSpread Publishers
More excerpts from A. W. Tozer's studies:
The
Old Cross and The New
Key
to the Deeper Life | Root of the Righteous