We had a pretty exciting thing happen at our home Bible study last night. We have been praying for a guy for months now who has been in prison. Last night he came to our Bible study to tell us thanks. He stayed for the whole thing, and was quite the talker. He seemed to really enjoy the discussion, and had a particularly good time bantering back and forth with Jennifer. She is a lot of fun anyway, and her good nature and good heart really came through in welcoming him and helping him feel a part of what was going on. We still have to be praying for him as he gets settled back into society. I am also concerned about how he has been influenced by Eastern philosophy. It is mingled in his mind with Christian thought as well, but he did say some things about God being in everything. It's one thing to encourage good when you see it in other people. It's quite another to think you can achieve consistent peace in your own life without the presence of the Holy Spirit. And besides, the Holy Spirit offers so much more than just peace: love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. I'm praying that when he begins to get tired of the exertion it takes to maintain control over his sin nature, that he will release the struggle to Jesus. As difficult as it is, a relationship with a real, personal God is still so much easier than a holding a lid on yourself.
Psalms 16:7-8 says, I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Father, draw Phillip toward you and you alone. Amen.
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