Time, Place and Manual.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I purchased my kayak kit in February.  I learned that for epoxy and fiberglass, a minimum temperature of 55° is necessary.  I had an unheated garage.  I was forced to wait a couple months to begin building.  The wait became nearly four months as I just didn’t get around to starting.  Once started, the space in the garage was limited and more cramped than would have been optimal.

If you have not started a discipline of intentional spiritual practices, the time to start is now.  No one time of the year is required!  The time of day may be a different matter.  Especially at the beginning, it can be helpful to be disciplined about the time of day for Bible Study, meditation, prayer and other devotional activities.  Such “programming” can help to ingrain the habit of these practices.   The danger can be a slavishness to such regularity at the expense of spiritual serendipity.

Place is also important to one’s spiritual practices.  One wants an appropriate place.  If engaging in silence or solitude, choose a place and space conducive to these practices.  You need a place to be away from people and space that is free from extraneous noises.  You may go for a walk in a place where you can be alone.  Furniture should be comfortable enough to allow you to focus on the prayer or meditation, but not so comfortable as to induce sleep.

I waited before building my kayak, I read the manual — three or four times.  Some things I understood immediately.   Other things took several readings for understanding to come.

How similar it is with spiritual practices.  Being “in the Word” is critical.  There is such blessing from reading the Scriptures.  God attaches Himself to His Word. He comes to us in the reading and study of it.  The Holy Spirit opens our minds, hearts and souls.  He teaches us the things of Christ, the mind and will of God.  We grow in our desire for communion with the living God.

Text and Picture, Copyright Don Schatz