The question is not, “what do I want to become.” To a large degree, the die has been cast, and we have already become what we have chosen, and, our powers to change ourselves and people’s perceptions of us are small. But God is able to change us into the person that He Himself desires. Faith in Jesus is the key to this change.

We must learn that prayer is not the summit of Christian experience, but rather, the baseline. It is not that to which we attain. It is what we do that will prepare us to attain. The humble, daily, normal practice of prayer will prepare us for prosperity and poverty; for victory or defeat; for encouragements and discouragements. Don’t wait to pray.

No one covers up a light. And when we live in the light of all that God has graciously done in us and for us, we will desire and purpose to share that light.

Imagine a wife who purposes to speak well of her husband. That is commendable. We do not suppose that the man is perfect. But this wife will not speak in public of his imperfections. Maybe he has an anger problem. Maybe he drinks too much. Maybe he is proud and self-centered. Nonetheless, this devoted wife will not out her husbands faults.

But Christian, God is not a partner whose flaws we must cover. God is perfect in His mercy, but also in His judgments. Yet we act like devoted wives, wanting people to think well of Him, covering God’s fault of judgment. Christian, God has no character defects. His judgment is glorious, whether or not we can see it or explain it. It is not something that should be kept secret.

Why should the public have any respect for a God concerning whom we act embarrassed?

The Parable of the Soils (Mark 4:1-20) led us to think carefully about the soil of our hearts, of the ever-present dangers of hardness, shallowness and distraction, and of our need to humbly beg God for a gracious and merciful excavation of our hearts.