Have you ever composed and sent off what should have been a perfect document, only to find that a serious error either in spelling or word placement had taken place? Very frustrating! You have been there, too?

I was preparing a PresbyCan devotional and had read through my rough draft too many times not to have it perfect.

On entering it into the online Submissions Form, everything was going very well. Fortunately, we can edit the submission as many times as needed to make sure that it is perfect. It looked perfect, so I pressed the "Submit" button. Done!

A few seconds later, I received an email from PresbyCan telling me that my submission had been received and that I could secure a copy, which I did. Done!

Then, horror of horrors, I read the title: "Not Thy Will, But Mine"! I looked at my copy to make sure that I had read it correctly. What to do? I couldn't call the editor, Robin, at 1:30 a.m. as I was tired, and it was late! I looked at it again, and it had changed from a 12pt font to a 96pt font — it was humongous! I panicked.

With over fifty years in the ministry, how could I have written such a blasphemous title? I had checked the document; how could I have overlooked this serious error? Or was it an error? Perhaps it was a revelation that I actually felt that way about my God and my relationship with Him. I am sure that I heard Satan snicker somewhere in the background.

1 John 3:8 – He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (KJV)

I was reading this verse when the phone rang, and I almost jumped out of my skin. I answered it, and it was Robin at 1:30 in the morning. "Hello, Stephen. Are you sure that you want to use that title for your submission that I just received?"

Then, I woke up! It was a nightmare! However, I suspect that I'm not alone in realizing that "not Thy will, but mine" describes my life far too often. May God grant all of us the willingness to recognize that as the Lord of our lives, Jesus deserves our unconditional obedience, for His will is perfect and He is always good! That's the only way to change "not Thy will, but mine" into "not my will, but Thine".

Prayer: Father in heaven, grant us the grace to listen for Your will and the courage to obey it. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

It was October 1968 during my first year of training towards ordination that a group of us men invaded the home of a saintly eighty-year-old lady for the purpose of encouraging her in her faith by having what was then called a Cottage Meeting with her.

She was gleeful as she sang along with us to the music of an accordion. After a short sermon, centred on the cross, we sang my favourite hymn, written by Fanny Crosby:

Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all — a healing stream —
Flows from Calv'ry's mountain.

When we finished singing and had a closing prayer, she raised both hands over her heart and announced in a quivering but very intelligible voice, "Young men, please remember. Always stay near the cross, because the devil is afraid of the cross." That proclamation has never left me, even after fifty-six years.

We left her that day committed to conquering the world for Jesus, all because of the cross. My personal awareness of the significance and meaning of the cross exploded into overdrive. My favourite preacher at that time was Billy Graham. It is said that he once attributed the large number of responses in his crusades to the one central theme of his sermons: the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the cross.

If we had lived in Jerusalem on the day of Christ's crucifixion, I wonder how near we would have been to the cross. Little did I realize that in my eightieth year, I would be spiritually, figuratively, and even physically near the cross. Let me explain.

From a window in the suite where my wife and I live, we can see a large cross about 100 metres away atop the church next door. During the day when the sun is shining, it appears to reflect that bright light, and all is well. When night comes, the spotlights beneath the cross illuminate it so that it becomes a source of comfort and reassurance in the darkness which surrounds it. As I am looking at it now, I have to repeat, "Jesus, keep me near the cross!"

How near are we to the cross today, to the crucified Christ? Our nearness to the cross will be evident to those who see and hear us. It will be reflected in how we react to what is happening around us and what we do each day of our lives.

Prayer:

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

Amen!

I also follow a recommended, scaled-down exercise program and keep up to date with the most recent advances in the treatment and maintenance of AS.

When I check my blood pressure, I sit for five minutes in a comfortable position with my legs and ankles uncrossed and my back supported against a chair. I try to be calm and not think about stressful things. I follow this same process once a week when I make careful preparation to self-administer a medicine by injection. To help me relax, I use a YouTube music video which plays quiet music while displaying appropriate Bible verses. I use these moments to connect with my heavenly Father. As the beautiful music continues, more Bible verses appear on the screen. This is the very first one:

Psalm 34:19 – Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (NKJV)

Now, I am not equating my health issues with the great afflictions, troubles, or testings endured by many other believers far more righteous than I; it just feels that way.

Psalm 34 was written by David at some point after he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, the king of Gath. The story, as told in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, reveals that David was running away from Saul, the king of Israel, who was trying to kill him. He was in Philistine territory where he had defeated Goliath some years earlier. When he realized that they knew who he was and that his life was in danger, he remembered that God would deliver him, as He did from the bear and the lion. In fact, this is the lesson found in Psalm 34: God delivers — and He does!

While Psalm 34 clearly states that the life of a believer is not an easy road to travel, it does emphatically remind us, in no less than four different statements in verses 4, 7, 17, and 19 that the Lord delivers us.

Are any afflicted today? Know that God delivers. Do any have fears today? Know that God delivers. Do any have troubles, worries, or serious problems today? Know that God delivers. He is only a prayer away. Also, a fresh reading of Psalm 34 would be good for the soul.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we thank You today for the many times that You have delivered us when the affairs of life have overwhelmed us. Help us to continue to trust You according to Your promises for us through Your precious Word. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!

My response to him was to research how we can receive this training that he mentioned. Let's think about it for a few moments and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal God's Word to us as found in this passage:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)

• First of all, we have to read and study our Bible faithfully.
• Secondly, we must listen to what God is saying to us as we read His Word.
• Thirdly, we must act on what God is asking us to do or not to do.
• Fourthly, we must be willing to be corrected and restored, and to live in harmony with God's will for our lives.
• Fifthly, we must be willing to be trained for something greater for His purposes and for His glory.

God's training in righteousness lasts for a lifetime. It can be rough, laborious, and strenuous. We will be challenged to the breaking point as we submit to His use of time and people and circumstances to sharpen us in self-control and patience. Just when we think that we have arrived spiritually, He asks us to love difficult people unconditionally, to accomplish His purposes on this earth.

This course begins the moment when we are saved and ends when we take our last breath. It does not qualify us for service outside the kingdom of God. It does not have a diploma that we can display. But we do get to hear from Him when we graduate, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:23a NIV) I hope that you are as excited as I am about being enrolled in this training in righteousness.

Wouldn't all of us who claim to be followers of His Son Jesus want this amazing training in our lives to be complete, to be full and fulfilled so that we can be all that God created us to be, and be thoroughly equipped for every good work? I do!

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. We pray that You would use Your Word today to make us complete and to equip us for good work in Your kingdom all day long. O God, we love You and we love Your Word, and we pray for its full effect in our lives. We pray that You would help us to share this Word with others. We want to hide Your Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against You as we are being trained in righteousness. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen!

He always measured, remeasured, and measured again, which appeared to me to be an annoying waste of time. When he asked me to cut an expensive eight-foot piece of lumber into four equal pieces, I did it my way.

Measuring the length, dividing it by four, and making straight pencil marks using my try square, I used my recently sharpened cross-cut saw to cut the lumber into four pieces.

When I placed the pieces on end to check my work, you guessed it! They were all different lengths. I had failed on three counts — only measuring once, not allowing for the width of each saw cut, as well as wanting to do it my way.

Jesus was also a carpenter and the son of a carpenter. When Jesus was teaching His disciples, He remembered Joseph's teaching Him how to shape a wooden yoke, which was carefully fitted on the necks of two animals so that they could pull a plough or cart together equally without injuring their necks.

Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (NKJV)

The spiritual implication in these verses is an invitation to allow Jesus to put His yoke on us and learn from Him, the Master Teacher Himself, by giving Jesus control of our lives and letting Him direct our efforts. When we follow His instructions, the work that He has for us to do will not be as difficult as if we did it alone.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Word, which guides us through life and directs us in the way that we should go. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our teacher in this darkened world. Help us to harness our hearts and lives to Jesus and learn from Him each day, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light, and in Him, there is rest for our souls. Thank You that we have not been left to bear our problems and the pain of life alone. Use us, we pray, to point others who are distressed and burdened with sin to Jesus. In His name, we pray. Amen!

On the other hand, I know a person who has just reached her hundredth birthday. She doesn't forget anything; she is as sharp as a tack, having instant recall. What a gift!

Trinity College, Dublin, released this interesting idea after extensive research: "We create countless memories as we live our lives but many of them we forget. Why? Counter to general assumption that memories simply decay with time, 'forgetting' might not be a bad thing — that is according to scientists who believe … we learn to forget some memories while retaining others that are important." – ScienceDaily.

This kind of forgetfulness can also lead to a forgetfulness of God. In an evening service, we had sung the opening song and were asked to close our songbooks. Then we were asked the name of the song that we had just sung. Not one person could call it to mind. It was a wake-up call to all of us.

Moses was aware of this tendency in his people. So, he reminds them repeatedly in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 8:11 – Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. (NIV)

Forgetting is a constant theme in the Bible.

Psalm 78:11-13 – They forgot what he had done. the wonders he had shown them. He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall. (NIV)

The apostle Paul writes: "One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14 NIV)

My constant prayer is that I will never forget God's Word, and I hope that that is your prayer, too.

Now, what was I going to input next? Oh, yes! I forgot — the closing prayer!

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, forgive us for allowing the life that You gave us to lead us to forgetting You. We know that spiritual amnesia can set in quickly, covering the eyes of our hearts. We come to You now with gratitude and thanksgiving as we remember all that You have done for us. Help us never to forget Your Word, that we might not sin against You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

It was a typical Sunday morning with a full house ready for worship. The singing and music were uplifting, the prayers were heartfelt, and God was obviously moving by His Spirit. What wasn't typical was the fact that I had had an unusually long, stressful week, and the sermon didn't go as well as I had hoped, both in preparation and delivery. By God's grace, I made it through the service and walked to the main entrance to greet the congregation as we shook hands and encouraged each other at the beginning of a new week.

As the final few people were leaving, a prominent member of our congregation looked me straight in the eye and said, "Well, that's the worst sermon I have ever heard you preach." He was right, of course, but I don't remember my response, if there was a response. I do remember feeling emotionally exhausted and humbled as my mind raced in all directions to come to grips with what I had just heard. By the following Sunday, I had come to the conclusion that rather than being a failure for me, this was a wake-up call. I didn't quit the ministry, but rather chose to be back in the pulpit to preach the Word because I had received a charge from God to do so.

In today's verses, Paul was encouraging Timothy to preach the Word even when the truth is awkward, difficult, or resisted. Timothy was to focus his ministry on communicating God's revealed truth as the Holy Spirit guarded his heart and mind while he maintained complete patience and teaching to reach their hearts.

Paul was reminding both you and me that serving as a pastor, ministry leader, musician, singer, usher, children's worker, or whatever we do in Christian ministry, we are to do it as a child of God enjoying a healthy relationship with Him, which becomes the foundation for everything which flows from our ministry.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name as we gather in prayer to express our heartfelt gratitude for pastors and all those who tirelessly serve Your people. We ask for Your grace to renew their sense of purpose each day. May their steps be guided by Your divine wisdom, and may they find strength in Your Word through the Holy Spirit. We thank You for all those who are involved in and support Christian ministry and for the profound impact that they have on our lives as they navigate the challenges of ministry. Grant them a clear vision of the lives they touch and the life-changing role that they play. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!