Overgrown

Batter my heart, three-personed God; for you

As yet but knock, breathe, shine and seek to mend;

That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend

Your force to break, blow burn, and make me new....

~John Donne

How grateful I am that our God in His gentleness woos and loves me to Himself. Yet there are times when battering and breaking is required. Strongholds, walls, defences of the enemy, of soul-self make total possession by Him impossible.

If I am to be totally occupied with Him, efficient, effective battering must take place. Pain and desolation are not my favorite things. But I must learn to accept His tools, His ways required to bring about that occupation.

My soul seems quite overgrown with brambles and briars of late.

They cling to the crumbling walls of my defences.

There is a dullness that distresses. Like Martha of old, I seem distracted with many things.

This is not the occupation I desire.

Today, battering and leveling are requested that my total occupation once more is Him, my Lord and my God.

This is a good day for it, this Lord's day.