In His Presence, There is Fullness of Joy

  Four years ago my wife and the mother of our four children was told she had metastatic breast cancer. They say that a cancer diagnosis is like being dropped by parachute into an unfamiliar jungle with no map or compass, and that analogy pretty well described our experience -- notwithstanding my having been a believer all of my adult life who would rarely miss a quiet time. Apart from the shock of having to reckon with the possibility of losing my life partner there came a sense of urgency as to my stewardship of my own life.

   Many years back, I remarked to a musician friend that I regretted that I was past the midway point of my own life and my familiarity with the works of, say, J.S. Bach was barely a scratch on the surface. Now there was an infinitely greater matter at hand -- how seriously had I been seeking intimacy with God and seeking to use my time on earth to be effective for His kingdom? For years I would have assumed that even if I was only half-hearted with regard to the former (pursuing God) I could still do okay as regards the latter (kingdom effectiveness.) I don’t believe that anymore -- the first great commandment is to love God “with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

   There is a reason for the order in which Jesus endorsed these directives. You cannot display the kind of love that will draw people to God if you are not passionate abo ...