Rich Maffeo on Nostr: continued from above: Raymond’s death has affected me more than the death of any ...
continued from above:
Raymond’s death has affected me more than the death of any other church-going friend I’ve ever lost to the grave. As I said, I know my own heart. And I often hear the words of the church hymn seeping through my thoughts: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.” And perhaps I’m understanding a bit more why David prayed as he did:
“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. . . . Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51)
I know I need the Holy Spirit to do whatever He needs to do to conform me so much better into the image of Christ, to keep me humble before the One who did what He did on that torturous, splintered, bloody cross.
I am learning to FEAR – yes, fear – that I could ever live in such a way that someone correctly say after my death that I had a ‘dark’ side.
Yes, Lord – create in me a clean heart.
Raymond’s death has affected me more than the death of any other church-going friend I’ve ever lost to the grave. As I said, I know my own heart. And I often hear the words of the church hymn seeping through my thoughts: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.” And perhaps I’m understanding a bit more why David prayed as he did:
“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. . . . Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51)
I know I need the Holy Spirit to do whatever He needs to do to conform me so much better into the image of Christ, to keep me humble before the One who did what He did on that torturous, splintered, bloody cross.
I am learning to FEAR – yes, fear – that I could ever live in such a way that someone correctly say after my death that I had a ‘dark’ side.
Yes, Lord – create in me a clean heart.