"... we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."
'What I didn't write down here, Lord, is Paul's opening word "Therefore". "Therefore" based upon what? "Therefore"... although the outer man is dying and decaying, the inner man is being renewed and restored. Although Paul clearly states this after the word "Therefore", he's also essentially stating it before the word too. I already wrote and prayed about my outer man yesterday, Lord, but today I pray for my inner man. I closed my prayer yesterday with a concern that I could feel myself languishing. Mulling over this passage in my mind this morning after reading it caused me to mourn a bit as I reflected upon how close we were in the weeks leading up to my sermon preached from Romans 5:1-11 (remember, I feared this would happen). While the pressure was great (and somewhat self-imposed), it forced me to push aside all outward distractions and utilize all margins I had to draw near to You. Now, weeks later, I feel those distractions have pushed You into my margins and other temporal things have filled that void, that vacuum if You will, where You've always belonged and longed to be.
God, give me that longing to come home like I did when I was a young boy after being away from my family for awhile. I want to be homesick again, only this time for a place I've never been before but only read about. When I'm homesick I'm consumed with thoughts of anticipation, excitement and hope. Right now I'm consumed with thoughts of what needs to be done next, feeling the weightiness of all that's upon my shoulders (which isn't much, really, in the scheme of things). Help me to see the "grace which is spreading to more and more people" (II Corinthians 4:15b) as evidence of Your eternal Kingdom and a foretaste of what I will rest upon in glory. Help me not to lose heart.'
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