This morning I am so grateful for the guidance God has given me! It lights my way and gives me confidence to move forward - even if I can't see where the path is heading! Thank you, Father!
Today's passage from Psalms 119 reads:
"O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. I am insignificant and despised, but I don't forget your commandments. Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true. As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live." (Psalms 119:137-144 - Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.)
As I read the first verse, however, I wonder what the Psalmist means. I find that "fairness" for me is a concept that seems less important the longer I seek God's guidance - yet this is not the first time I've seen the Psalmist talking about it. I've seen over time, however, that "It's not fair!" is a cry that is very likely to get me into trouble. I have had to learn to focus on obedience to God's leading rather than on worrying whether or not it's "fair". And truthfully, if God was always "fair" in His dealings with me, I'd be in a world of hurt! I am so grateful that mercy and grace are a part of God's nature! And yet, he is "fair" in this sense. His mercy and grace are available for all. His guidance is there for all. No matter how insignificant I feel in the grand scheme of things, He's there for ME - not just others. He doesn't treat me as any less important than anyone else. I am SO grateful. Thank you, Father!
Taking the next verse, I have to agree. God's guidance is always perfect for me and completely trustworthy. Things always work out for the best when I align myself with His will for me.
The next verse again makes me pause. Here is more indignation and worry about what others are doing. I used to be overly concerned about what other people thought of me and at times this kept me from doing the things I felt guided to do. Because of this, part of my learning process has been to learn to worry less about what other people think or do and focus on my own obedience. Given that background, I have to wonder about the idea of indignation with regard to others. I can kind of understand that protective instinct rising when someone else attacks someone you care about, but why wouldn't I trust that God has all things under control and can fight His own battles? Checking out other versions I see several that read something like this: "My zeal has consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words." (NKJV) Frankly this is one I simply don't understand. Father, please give me insight when the time is right!
The next few verses I can relate to pretty well as I am finding that seeking God's guidance daily brings such peace, no matter what comes my way. I especially like the reminder that when pressure and stress bear down on me I need to remember God's guidance. This is SO true for me right now. My plate is SO full that if I'm not careful, I can easily get caught up in worry and stress instead of trusting God's leading in my life and looking to Him. I also really relate to the last verse and the plea for help in understanding God's ways. I know that is indeed the path of life and I am grateful for all of His promises and guidance. Sometimes I can still worry about whether or not I'm hearing His voice clearly, and I'm grateful for His willingness to make Himself so clear to me.
Father, what would you have me do today? What is your wisdom for me this morning? I am reminded of the words of a blog post by Jeff Goins titled "Are You Interruptible?" It gave me some real food for thought. Basically it suggests that it is important to cultivate the "discipline" of being interruptible - that being open to the "interruptions" that come our way and being fully present to the possibilities they bring is very important. He makes some great points, and I'd encourage you to read his article.
For me, I recognize that I am often not very interruptible. An encounter a couple of days ago has been on my mind a great deal. I was given the opportunity to chat and get to know someone better but was so focused on the tasks that lay ahead of me that I missed the opportunity. I know this is not an isolated incident in my life, but a far too common occurrence. This is bad enough when it means I miss divine appointments with people I could help or who might help me in some way, but it is even more serious when I miss hearing that still small voice of my Heavenly Father's re-direction because I am too focused to be interrupted!
Father, as I step forward into the new that you are calling me to do, it is easy for me to get very focused on the tasks I see before me. I can easily grow a bit frantic as I see all that I feel needs to be done and the short amount of time available in which to do it. Father, I want to do a good job and be well prepared. My motives are good, but I can have a tendency to forget that I can trust YOU to guide me each moment and that you give sleep to those you love. (Ps 127:2) Father, please guide me throughout this day. May I be interruptible - open to your leading and redirection each step of the way. Thank you, Father!
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This blog is simply a sharing of my "daily bread" - my daily walk with God. If something I've said has touched your heart, or sparked a new thought, I'd love to hear from you.