"The Hope of Glory" Part 3 “The Atmosphere of the Mind"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe… 

"The Hope of Glory"      

Part 3 - "The Atmosphere of the Mind"  

    

   

   Life comes at us fast and hard, requiring the necessity of thinking about countless matters of circumstance, situation, and condition, along with relationship with God and people.  Since our minds are not made to effectively focus on two trains of thought at once, how do we maintain a godly mind amid earthly realities?  Regarding our current consideration, how do we know and experience the presence of God when we cannot continually think about the blessed "hope of glory, which is Christ in you?" (Colossians 1:27).

   "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee" (Isaiah 26:3).

   First, it is not necessary that we maintain constantly conscious thought about our Lord.  If we are to glorify Him in all things, we must devote full mental attention to matters at hand.   We would not want a Christian architect to think or pray about overtly spiritual issues while working on complex calculations for the design of a tall building.  Hopefully, he prays as the day begins, and certainly opportunities for acknowledging the Lord's presence will offer themselves amid a busy schedule.  However, the architect's design for a safe edifice requires keen focus on his calculations.  As a believer, this will be no less spiritual than pondering Scriptural truth if he realizes the practice of his vocation as opportunity to glorify the Lord.  "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).

   The issue involves the atmosphere of the mind, as it were.  We must realize in the light of Scripture that we live with our Lord, and by His leading and enabling.  We build an altar in our hearts whereupon we sacrifice all notions of living as if by ourselves.  We then visit the altar often for affirmations of God's presence and involvement.  Sometimes we may even visit for repentance when we have obviously forgotten or disbelieved the blessed truth that we live as a "we" rather than a "me."  We do well to begin each day with such remembrance, and to conclude each day with thanksgiving for our Lord's faithfulness in gracing us with His abiding presence.  However, we cannot constantly think about such grace, nor is it required that we do so.  Much of God's work by our right hand is unknown by our left.  Thus, we build and visit the altar referenced, and then go our way in confidence our Lord will reveal Himself in our hearts and minds in ways we often do not recognize.  

   Certainly in our Heavenly life to come, we will be able to maintain constant mental focus on the Lord, while also devoting full attention to our callings and responsibilities.  We are not there yet.  We therefore seek to "love the Lord thy God... with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37).  However, we recognize our current limitations and seek God's grace to maintain an atmosphere of the mind whereby the Lord's presence serves as the prevailing conviction of our heart, even though we cannot constantly think about the blessed truth.  Such devotion and commitment will surely suffice, and we can be more than confident that the Holy Spirit will accommodate our limitations and empower our capacity to remember our Lord's assurance…

"I am with you always… I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."

(Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)

Weekly Memory Verse

    "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

(II Corinthians 3:18)

  

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