Focus
Slow your breathing and become aware of the taking in and letting out of your breath. Focus on putting things aside so you will be open to what God is saying to you today.
Read
Psalm 85
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
1 Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin.Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.[a]
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.
Reflect
Restoration and forgiveness—what a pairing!
Lovingkindness and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
What poetry!
Peace and lovingkindness to his people but counsel not to return to folly. What a proverb!
What an uplifting psalm that just happens to end in a subtle challenge.
Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.
Oh, if we could just see the good plans that God has for us. Oh, if we could know the entire route before we left home. Even more, if we could trust in the Lord with all of our heart and have complete understanding.
Yet, that is not life as we know it. We take steps of faith. We live day by day. We want to walk in his way but we must do it one step at a time not always knowing the complete route but trusting that he has illuminated the next step.
God calls us to faith and grants us peace even though we don’t know how the whole puzzle fits together. We face our trials with joy. We celebrate when we are persecuted for the name of the Lord. We pick up our cross daily not knowing where we will stop for the night.
We look back and know what God has done for his people. We look forward at just the next step he has for us. We trust that step by step we will find ourselves walking in his way. We give thanks that we live in his favor and not in our own wisdom.
We declare that step by step we will walk in his way.
Pray
Lord of love, forgiveness, and restoration,
We long to follow you, but we are so flawed.
We long to bring glory to your name, but we become sidetracked or forgetful.
We want to be known as your disciple, but we miss so many opportunities to be your love.
We want to know the good plans that you have for us, but we cling to our own plans and own understanding.
Thank you, Lord that you have just called us to take a step of faith.
Thank you, Lord that you are the way, the truth, and the life.
Thank you that your mercies are new each morning.
Help us bring glory to your name.
Amen.
Go with God!
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.