Batts: the devil can ruin our lives by interfering with our relationships. In C. S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity", the analogy of an orchestra is used. The instruments must be able to play by themselves, but they must work together. By destroying the harmony of the group, each player is daunted. Or, by ruining one instrument, the music is ruined. Both must be attended to.
Two things are needed: our relationship with God requires that we know who He is, and that we find ways to praise Him for it. So, who is God? A. W. Tozier wrote "The Knowledge of the Holy", which asks how we are to know the holy -- and how we are to know God.
He who seeks, finds. It's Biblical. Do you not have? Then you have not seeked. Chapel is a disheartening experience, especially if you're looking for God. I suppose He's not there too often. No, no. I'm being overly harsh, because I'm being forced (yes, I realize that I in essence forced this upon myself by not attending the mandated number of sessions) to listen to a number of chapels -- without the worship portion, which is generally the only part worth attending. Alas.
Psalms 46:10 says to "Be still, and know that I am God." What a great thing to do. It is always necessary to stop and smell the roses. After all, God made the roses. Who else will you praise for them? The world is a wondrous thing, and all too often we ignore it because we are doing what we feel is required of us. Like chapel. Huh. Maybe I should stop right now. How many do I have? This is the 11th one I've typed up,and I had 13 actual chapel attendances. That makes 24. I have another fourteen to go. That's quite a few. I suppose it's disheartening, since I'm doing all this at the last minute. And, yes, that's my fault. But not entirely. Sometimes I question my own wisdom in allowing myself to be convinced to come here. And I wonder what things would have been like elsewhere. But then I remind myself that one can play "What would have been" until the cows come home, and that it is a futile exercise, because so many things would have been different. Very seldom are our lives -- oh, look. This chapel is "to be continued." I've got a fairly long entry. Let's let it be so as well.
So read some Psalms in the meantime. And think about who God is. It's good stuff -- I promise.