It may seem obvious to you, and if it does, please forgive me; but the reality is that being a Christian for a long time does not mean that daily devotion is easy. It is not so for me. Indeed, it is a struggle each day to find time to set aside to the Lord, especially when there is a busy agenda and many things to do.
I should add that this is not a confession of failure. Yes, I do fail at times; but I really can't afford to. Spiritual success is integral to finding progress and being effective in my life, and it's never God that lets me or you down. It's that we fail.
So how do we combat failure? Simply, we have to ensure that each day is begun and underlined in spiritual discipline, spending time reading the Bible or listening to it. And simply honouring God and giving Him the place of preeminence in our life. It's not rocket science. But it is true.
Today, I'm at a conference of Regional Ministers of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. The place is Holthorpe Hall. May each of us bow to the Son that His presence should shape and form our witness this day and tomorrow too.