Time For God: June 14

Focus: Genesis 6:5
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
 
Reflect:
The apple is implicated again! We are told that Sir Isaac Newton received an insight—the Universal Law of Gravitation—while sitting beneath an apple tree. Did the apple fall on his head, or did he merely observe its fall nearby? We may never know.

The results of the falling apple are, however, very clear. Sir Isaac observed the apple falling at an accelerating speed. He deduced that a force was acting upon it to cause it to accelerate. That force—we call it gravity—reached to the top of the tree. If so high, it might reach even higher, even to the moon. Perhaps then, a gravitational force is the energy required to push the moon about the earth. And thus his law (far more complex than described here!) was born.  
 
Popular accounts of stealing forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, name the apple as the fruit. Thus sin entered our world. Its resultant evil has fractured God’s good world. From the top of a tree, Newton’s apple falls with gravity’s accelerating speed. Sin’s gravitational pull reaches to the highest to bring everything down to the lowest place. Sin touches the noblest mind; its total depravity taints all. Everyone—and everything—carries a fatal flaw. Since Adam ate Eve’s apple, every intent of the thoughts of [the human] heart [is] only evil continually. We truly need God’s rescue plan.

Newton described a Prayer Telescope. Taking his telescope he could look into space for millions of miles. He said, “But when I lay it aside, go into my room, shut the door, and get down on my knees in earnest prayer, I see more of Heaven and feel closer to the Lord than if I were assisted by all the telescopes on earth.” In prayer, Newton may have discovered an anti-gravity cure. Prayer enables him—and us—to ascend to heaven to know God’s Sovereign presence. Newton urges, Thou art coming to a King, large petitions with thee bring, for His grace and power are such none can ever ask too much.

Prayer lifts us out of the habitual habit of the human heart—its gravitational pull toward evil. Our souls’ enemy strives to keep us from prayer. A busy schedule, a headache or an illness, fatigue and exhaustion, a straying mind or a wayward heart, a rebellious spirit or a friend’s interrupting phone call will each compete with prayer.

Consider:
How is the Lord inviting you to deepen your prayer life? What is your response?

Pray:
Savior, enlarge my faith to ask what I so often dare not ask of You. Father of Light, fill my heart with Your heart’s holy intent. Holy Spirit anoint my thoughts with wisdom, truth, and grace. Oh Master, bend my will to model Your love, that I may serve You ever more faithfully. Amen.