WATCHWORD:
God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. Psalm 23, Message.
(Frankly, I prefer NIV or King James versions. The message is the same, but a bit unfamiliar. The Message is not the way I learned the Shepherd’s Psalm as a child. And, yet, Amen, and Amen!)
Meditation:
Thy Will
These days, how do you pray? Do you pray as Jesus did: “If it be thy will, take this cup from me”, or do you skip the first part, about ‘thy will, and go right to the second? Take this cup, this isolation, this fear, this uncertainty from me. Lord, it’s uncomfortable. Help me.
Murray Bodo has written a story, entitled The Widows Son, where tells the story of a young boy who is left alone each day by his working mother. They live in a house high on a bluff, overlooking the ocean. Each day, after the mother goes to work, the boy, fascinated by the ocean, gets closer and closer to the cliff that drops down to the water. The story goes: “Then, one day, the boy reaches the bottom of the rocks and stands facing the sea with his large brown eyes. He undresses and jumps into the shallow water letting the gentle waves play with him”.
But, as the tide begins to come in, and the boy’s fun changes into worry, then, as the waves get higher the boy begins to panic. He searches, without success, the way he had come down. He finds no handhold, no foothold, no way to rescue himself from the tide that now washes over his legs. In desperation, he throws himself against the cliff face crying out. The story continues: “He was surrounded by water now, in his mind the boy knew that in a few minutes he would be swept off his feet and carried out to sea. He made one last desperate plunge through the water and stretched out his hands for something, anything to cling to. And his hand met the warm hand of a fisherman reaching down to him.”
Is that us? In our desperation, in our isolation, in our inner discomfort, do we make one last desperate plea to the fisherman? Of course, we do. He is our Father, our Lord and Savior, the One we trust, the One we place all of our faith upon. And, it is right and proper that we do that. How often have we lifted up our hearts, seeking reassurance and restated the basis of our own security: He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” That is the foundation of our security: Our Crucified and Resurrected Jesus Christ, Yahweh, Holy God, is the Rock our faith and our security. So, Precious Savior, if it be thy will…” Amen.
Our Days: Tomorrow is Sunday, and once again is feels like we are missing an important piece in our lives. Maybe it was a piece that we took for granted, back in the day. I believe that piece, that void called ‘Church’, is the Voice of God, reminding us to be more committed in our worship, and our praise of the Holy One.
Closing Prayer:
Oh, Lord, our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: If it be thy Will, defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin or run into any danger, and that guided by your spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.