Don’t Cloister Yourself
Hiding in the Haycocks (by William Bliss Baker) (1881)
“I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts— men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords”
– Psalm 57:4.
Many of the psalms express the psalmists’ struggles to live a righteous life in the midst of evil people. These writers knew they could not withdraw from the world, but had to live for God in the midst of it, while trusting the Lord for protection and vindication of their faith lifestyle. Yet often God’s people have taken themselves out of the world, sometimes by being in church often (if not always), and at times by cloistering themselves away so as not to have contact with this rough-and-tumble world. Jesus addressed this tension when He said,
“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”
– John 17:14-17.
How are you doing as you live in this world as a pilgrim? Have you withdrawn into your own world? Have you isolated yourself, or do you trust God for protection while you serve as His agent of reconciliation and hope? Can you see that God loves this world and wants you to love it while not being of it?
Today’s reading – Psalms 56-60
John Stanko was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Duquesne University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics in 1972 and 1974 respectively.
Since then, John has served as an administrator, teacher, consultant, author, and pastor in his professional career. He holds a second master’s degree in pastoral ministries, and earned his Doctor of Ministry from Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh in 2011.
John founded a personal and leadership development company, called PurposeQuest, in 2001 and today travels the world to speak, consult and inspire leaders and people everywhere. From 2001-2008, he spent six months a year in Africa and still enjoys visiting and working on that continent, while teaching for Geneva College’s Masters of Organizational Leadership and the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, John founded Urban Press, a publishing service designed to tell stories of the city, from the city and to the city.
Trending Now on Affluent Christian Investor
Sorry. No data so far.
Follow Us
The Affluent Mix
How A Failed Commune Gave Us What Is Now Thanksgiving... November 25, 2020 | Jerry Bowyer
Senate Disgracefully Stalls Trump Fed Nominee... November 25, 2020 | John Tamny
A Statistical Overview Of American Households: Part 2, The Great Recession... November 25, 2020 | Jim Huntzinger
Follow The Science To Sweden November 25, 2020 | Daniel McLaughlin
Our Move Along, Nothing-To-See-Here Media... November 25, 2020 | Frank Vernuccio
Pessimism And Your Portfolio November 25, 2020 | David Bahnsen
Profits Are A Blessing, Not A Curse November 25, 2020 | Roger McKinney
The GOP Should Embrace Its Reputation As The Party Of Financial Success... November 19, 2020 | John Tamny
Can Dog-Eat-Dog Capitalism Exist? November 19, 2020 | Roger McKinney
Look For Companies With Blockholder Investor Base... November 19, 2020 | Jerry Bowyer
A Statistical Overview Of American Households... November 19, 2020 | Jim Huntzinger
The Real Loser Of The 2020 Election Is The Polling Industry... November 10, 2020 | Charles Bowyer
Here’s The Conservative Agenda For The Next Four Years... November 10, 2020 | Frank Vernuccio
What’s Next? A Post-Election Reality Check... November 10, 2020 | David Bahnsen
They’ve Been Writing America’s Obituary Since Before It Was America... November 10, 2020 | John Tamny
Reining In The Proxies: A Letter To Secretary Of Labor Eugene Scalia... November 10, 2020 | Jerry Bowyer
What Does It Mean To Be American Poor? November 10, 2020 | Jim Huntzinger
Should Christians Follow Grudem’s Or Piper’s Advice On Voting?... November 3, 2020 | Roger McKinney
Election Week Musings November 3, 2020 | David Bahnsen
The Left’s Illicit Rise November 3, 2020 | Frank Vernuccio
A Review Of The Gini Coefficient November 3, 2020 | Jim Huntzinger
Do Customers Want Corporations To ‘Virtue Signal’ About Politics?... November 3, 2020 | Jerry Bowyer
Join the conversation!
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse.