Flashes of Fire — E.A. Johnston

Daily Devotion and Sitting at Jesus' Feet

If more Christians sat at his feet, less Christians would fall on their face. We should sit every day at his feet in the quiet time. It's something we should do every day. Let me give you an example. I came off a week of spiritual highs.

Yesterday's Spiritual High Cannot Sustain Today's Walk

Every day I felt like I was on top of Mount Sinai in the presence of God. I felt like I was in that cliff to the rock with God walking by me and allowing me to see his backside. You know those experiences, those spiritual highs, but what comes after the spiritual high, right?

You can't stay on top of the mountain forever, right? Well, at the end of the week, I was very fatigued. 16, 17 hour days, very fatigued. I normally get up at 4 .45 in the morning to have my quiet time.

That Friday morning, I was rushed. I rushed my quiet time. I rushed to my office at work and I was in the flesh all day. I fell. I fell in my walk. I fell in my walk. I'll say that. Well, as I was driving home, I was praying and I said, Lord, why did that happen?

Why did I fail so miserably today after being in your presence so strongly throughout the week? How did that happen, Lord? It was as if he spoke to me. You know how he speaks to you in a quiet place in your heart and no one else speaks to you in a quiet place there?

He spoke to me and he said so clearly. He said, you cannot face today, let alone this hour, on yesterday's experience of me. You must seek and meet me every day. Then a text came to me in the Old Testament so vividly.

Fresh Manna for a Daily Christian Walk

I thought about the Israelites and the manna and how God ordered them not to store up the manna because what happened when they stored up the manna? Got worms in it, didn't it? And that voice came to me again.

And that voice told me, unless you seek me afresh every day, your Christian walk will have worms in it. Worms in it. And that's the problem with a lot of preaching today. It's got worms in it. I am reminded about an oil painting that hangs in a Spanish gallery.

Prayer Enlists Heaven and Redeems Time

In that little scene is a farmer. He's just removed his straw hat. He's laid down his farm implements and he's assumed the position of prayer. In the distance of that painting, if you look closely, there's a little village in the background with a church steeple and a bell tower.

And evidently the bell has rung calling the little community to a time of prayer. Everyone's laid down their farm implements, set down their work, and they're praying. And he's doing that. But if you look more closely at that painting, over to the right is a form of an angel.

And that angel has picked up his plow and has gotten that team of mule going. And it seems like that angel's getting ready to make a new furrow in the ground. And the caption of that oil paint is three words.

Total Surrender to Jesus' Lordship

Three words. You know what they are? No time lost. Do you get it? When we pray, all of heaven is enlisted on our behalf. We get more done in prayer than we do out of prayer. Dear blessed King, to handle your work and to speak your word by your Holy Spirit, Lord God, to your people.

This message is a transforming message, Lord. I pray that if there's a dear brother here or a dear sister here, Lord, who still has something, one compartment in their life that they haven't fully given to you, Jesus, in total lordship, that they give that to you now, Lord.

That they settle it this week. And it doesn't have to be a bad thing, as I learned, like a moral issue or a sin issue. It could be your pride, brother. It could be your attitude. It could be a good thing that maybe is keeping you from the main thing, something that's taken up too much of your time.

You should be spending more time at the feet of Jesus. I pray right now that the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart and that you will surrender all, all to him in total lordship. Because if he's not Lord of all, he's not Lord at all.

And I pray this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.