WATCHWORD:
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6b-7
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Meditation:
In All Your Ways Know Him
I venture to say that Proverbs 3:5-6 is on the list of favored Bible passages for many people. We can recite that passage by rote, without thinking. And that may very well be the problem, that “even without thinking” thing. King James version uses the phrase in all thy ways acknowledge Him, while the New Living Translation has seek his will in all you do. Another version has in all your ways know Him.
How do we read and digest God’s Word? Do we acknowledge Him, seek Him, know Him? I mean, intentionally, in ALL our ways? Is that too big a lift for us? Then, along comes the Apostle Paul, walking down the road, whistling a happy tune and telling us to pray continually or unceasingly, and some of us respond by saying, “I pray by the way I live my life”. Lord help us! But, what does it mean to pray without stopping, without ceasing, continually?
This morning, in my conversation with my Lord, as I sat there holding my prayer list, it occurred to me, thickheaded as I am, that my God knows every single namd on that list; every child, grandchild, great grandchild, friends who are struggling, those who are in need of His touch, and those who may not know Him at all. My God has given each one the gift of the Holy Spirit, and He knows their names and He knows their needs. My role in the conversation is to acknowledge my loved ones, and to seek and trust Him.
I struggled a bit over Psalm 51 where I ask the Lord to create in me a clean heart and to renew a right spirit, and I wonder what that truly means for me and the way I live my life? I think I know that “renew” thing, but the “create” part, I’m not sure. How about you? Can you confess to Him the messiness of your life? Can you humble yourself under God’s mighty hand each moment of this day, as Peter tells us?
And then we read, to our great relief, present your requests to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and you know that you are loved. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
A Poem by Billy Collins:
Modern Peasant
This morning is the same as all other mornings.
I part the window curtain and the familiar play begins.
Sunlight keeps repeating itself as if I were blind.
The same black car waits in the driveway for my key,
my manipulations and the sound of its radio
It’s the same old song, Blue exit signs enlarging
And disappearing behind the stream of my travel
As I think about the past, that rope I drag along,
and the future which is the rope that pulls me forward.
Ah, but tonight I will drink red wine at dinner.
I will continue to drink red wine after dinner,
Then I will lie down in the dark greens of the lawn
And think of something entirely new.
I will feel the rotation of the earth
as electrically as the sudden touch of a stranger.
I will wonder how many thousands of days
It would take the two of us to walk to the moon.
Closing Prayer:
Good morning Heavenly Father. We thank you for the beauty of this day., For the sun that shines down upon us and reminds us of your son, and Your Holy Spirit that dwells within us. We acknowledge you Lord through the Holy Spirit within as we begin this day with gratitude, knowing that you have planned this day for us, and You have equipped us with all we need to get through this day.It’s in great gratitude, Lord, that you love every one of us, all those family and friends, and all those in need, and those seeking You. We begin this day Lord, knowing full well that you are in charge and that you love us. All these prayers, spoken and simply lived out according to Your will, we surrender to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
