This morning I read a devotional by Andrew Murray (1828-1917), one of the most formative authors in my life. Today’s entry put so well what The Ripple Effect stands for and why it even started, that I wanted to share it with you as is, in Murray’s wonderful words.

“TAKE TIME WITH GOD”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

It should be the aim of every Christian to set aside a little time each day for quiet communion with God. There is a time for everything. Shall there be no time to spend in the presence of the Creator of all things? No time to contemplate His will and purpose for us? The holy, loving God is indeed worthy of the best of our time. We should live in constant fellowship with Him, but each day there should be a special time of quiet when we are with Him alone.

We need a period daily for secret fellowship. Time to turn from daily activities and search our hearts in His presence. Time to study His Word with reverence and godly fear. Time to seek His face and ask Him to reveal Himself to us. Time to wait until we know that He sees and hears us so that we can make our needs known to Him in words that come from the depths of our hearts. Time to let God deal with our special needs, to let Him shine in our hearts, to let ourselves be filled with His Spirit!

What do you think: Will a quarter of an hour each day be sufficient for this purpose? If you are unwilling to make such an arrangement you must not be surprised if your spiritual life becomes ineffective. Fellowship with God should be your first priority. If you do this regularly, you will learn to value it more and more. Soon you will feel ashamed that there was ever a time when you thought that fifteen minutes would suffice.

Think of the hours a child spends at school to prepare her or him for life. How much longer then should we spend to prepare ourselves for the eternal life?

Lord, it is so easy to find time for my own interests. Thank You that You not only gave me a little of Your time, but that You gave me Your life.

This Ripple is written by Samuel J. Blandina, the very first guy to join The Ripple Effect men’s group in back in 2012.

In mid January of 2019 I was privileged to drive solo through the southwest–southwest Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California—driving almost 10,000 miles in a month’s time, seeing and experiencing the vast, empty, mega awe inspiring geography of this amazing country.

In seeing this, thoughts of smallness, meaninglessness, “We are just dust in the wind” filled me. The scope of the land can make one feel small in comparison. At one point on Dog Canyon Trail in Big Bend National Park, stopping, there was no sound, no wind, no body. The land rose up in front of me, the sun shone down, it was warm. Time, everything stood still. It vividly felt as if time itself STOPPED. Breathing in and out, feeling the breath of God. I wept.

I saw and did so much in that time, but I would find myself saying, “Dude, you’re not being adventurous enough! You should have climbed that mountain instead of driving by it.” I was “shoulding” on myself. “I am not as brave as I think I am.” I was anxious! I had to pause to pray. In that quiet I hear: “When you stopped and prayed and wept you felt Me. Acknowledge Me in all things. No words need to pass your lips, let your heart and being know Me now and in all circumstances. This is prayer.” I wept.

Today’s society can drive one mad with electronic overstimulation, narcissism, consumerism, greed, envy, white noise, propaganda, the daily rat race. We see heroes in the great athletes, the mountain climber, extreme sports participants, etc. We think they are so brave! What great discipline! We are truly brave if we are willing to pursue God in all our being, every moment.

Easy?

Not.

Oh to abandon, to give up the right to ourselves and bring that suffering to the One who suffered all and suffers with us, Jesus. This creates joy. Maybe not so much in us, but we overjoy Jesus when we abandon. “You will be raised up.”

Our life is prayer. And we pray in the name of Yahweh, Yeshua, and Emmanuel, that people, no matter their circumstances—economic, geographical, spiritual—that all would know Jesus as Savior, Master, Redeemer, liberating King, the Way, the Light, the Truth, AMEN.

Let us pray.