Friday, January 18, 2008

Daily Devotions - Friday, January 18

How Would You Describe You?

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”
--Psalm 51: 10, 12

One truly helpful spiritual teacher in recent decades was the late Henri Nouwen. One of his friends asked Henri if he might write a book about how to live a spiritual life while spending his day in a secular world. Henri responded, writing a beautiful book, Life of the Beloved.

Living a spiritual life in a secular world is always challenging. Some days we live as “beloved” people better than we do on other days. Henri writes, “Deep in the recesses of our minds and hearts there lies hidden the treasure we seek. We know its preciousness, and we know that it holds the gift we desire most: a life stronger than death.” Living the spiritual life begins with the recognition that we are “beloved,” or as the Psalmist sings, “Create in me a clean heart.” Living the spiritual life continues as we keep on the journey of “becoming the beloved.”

Enjoy a good weekend, friends! Life of the Beloved might be a good addition to your library. (I don’t get any commission for recommending it!)

A prayer for today:
God who calls me “beloved,” guide me as I live in this secular world. Amen.

Ben Keckler
01.18.08

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