Spiritual Stamina

Feeling weak spiritually is something every Christian experiences now and then. Even pastor or fulltime church workers are not immune from it. It is especially crushing when one has to minister when one is feeling weak. Spiritual stamina must be stored up for the ardous journey ahead. Yet after more than 32.5 years since becoming a Christian, I have not felt more spiritually alive. This Sunday I was especially keen to go to church. Perhaps like the early church of the first 400 years, it is good to have dawn services, starting 6am. I was out and about at that time and read the Bible for a third time and still it was 2 hours before 8am service. I was in church 7.45am and joined the ushers to welcome church members coming to church. It was a good sign that the 400 buletins printed ran out by 8.20am and today there must be at least 450 adult worshippers. I went inside the sanctuary when worship started and stayed until 8.45am to go to another church service. At this church I sang for another 35 mins but it was like a breeze as the joy of the Lord was my strength. God's presence in this smallish church was even stronger and I cried out to the Lord and implored His help. The sermon was very good, preached by a deacon whom I reckon to be more qualified than a number of elders I know. I was called upon to give the benediction and the service ended at 11am. I thank the Lord for spiritual stamina. There is only one secret - to stay close to the Lord through devotions, from unseemly hours, morning, noon and night for the Lord is close to all who call on Him in truth.