Thoughts

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

I began to read “The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York” by Daniel Defoe today.

I had heard the story but never read the book. All I knew about this book was that it told of a man who was stranded on an island for several years with his companion “Friday” and that’s about all I knew.

I was really taken by some of the passages that I read. Here is the one that struck me most deeply: (This was written after almost 10 months alone on the island, and yes, I know it’s fiction.)

July 4. In the Morning I took the Bible, and beginning at the New Testament, I began seriously to read it, and impos’d upon my self to read a while every Morning and every Night, not tying my self to the Number of Chapters, but as long as my Thoughts shou’d engage me: It was not long after I set seriously to this Work, but I found my Heart more deeply and sincerely affected with the Wickedness of my past Life: The Impression of my Dream reviv’d, and the Words, All these Things have not brought thee to Repentance, ran seriously in my Thought: I was earnestly begging of God to give me Repentance, when it happen’d providentially the very Day that reading the Scripture, I came to these Words, He is exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance, and to give Remission: I threw down the Book, and with my Heart as well as my Hands lifted up to Heaven, in a Kind of Extasy of Joy, I cry’d out aloud, Jesus, thou Son of David, Jesus, thou exalted Prince and Saviour, give me Repentance!

This was the first Time that I could say, in the true Sense of the Words, that I pray’d in all my Life; for now I pray’d with a Sense of my Condition, and with a true Scripture View of Hope founded on the Encouragement of the Word of God; and from this Time, I may say, I began to have Hope that God would hear me.

Now I began to construe the Words mentioned above, Call on me, and I will deliver you, in a different Sense from what I had ever done before; for then I had no Notion of any thing being call’d Deliverance, but my being deliver’d from the Captivity I was in; for tho’ I was indeed at large in the Place, yet the Island was certainly a Prison to me, and that in the worst Sense in the World; but now I learn’d to take it in another Sense: Now I look’d back upon my past Life with such Horrour, and my Sins appear’d so dreadful, that my Soul sought nothing of God, but Deliverance from the Load of Guilt that bore down all my Comfort: As for my Solitary Life it was nothing; I did not SO much as pray to be deliver’d from it, or think of it; It was all of no Consideration in Comparison to this: And I add this Part here, to hint to whoever shall read it, that whenever they come to a true Sense of things, they will find Deliverance from Sin a much greater Blessing, than Deliverance from Affliction.

I have never read a better description of repentance and forgiveness than this.

Matthew 18:1-4

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

A child is the most dependent creature on earth. They have needs that can only be met by their parents. The need for food, water, shelter, and love.

Unless we truly view God as our Father, we will never have a full and meaningful relationship with Him. We can and should revere Him as our God, our King, our Maker, and our Savior, buy until we feel comfortable enough to call him “Abba” - Daddy, we will never know what it’s like to be a part of His family.

And when we do reach that place of humble dependence on Him we will be “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

It’s a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can’t eat for eight hours; he can’t drink for eight hours; he can’t make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work.

William Faulkner

Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.

Never put off until tomorrow that which you can avoid doing all together.