God's Work through change

PRAYER PRACTICE

Prayer Journal – To begin your daily worship today, grab a pen and paper and write out a prayer to God. Give thanks to God for all that He gives. And then finish with supplication – with your prayer requests to God. When you are done, tuck this away somewhere (so you can read it later and see how God has answered your prayers) and then move into hearing from God through His Word.

DAILY READING

Psalm 16

DEVOTION / REFLECTION

Life, a Maze of Choices

by Elaine Pierce

Have you ever walked through a corn maze and wondered how on earth you were going to find your way out? My grandsons and I would have been completely lost if their dad, my son, hadn't downloaded the map on his phone before we enter the maze. The corn was tall - very tall - and there were many paths to choose from. Once we found ourselves doubling back and ending up at the same place we had been just minutes before. Theo, my almost-6-year-old grandson, asked after about 20 minutes of corn maze wandering, if we were lost: "I want to get out of here!" 

His dad assured him that we would find our way. And, after a few more dead ends, we saw the exit ahead, where their mom was patiently waiting for us to emerge.

We had the map, so even though we made a few mistakes, we found our way out of the corn field and back to the open field and the sunshine. My grandsons were never truly afraid of being lost, because they knew their dad would get them out safely.

In Psalm 16, David asks God to keep him safe. He has enemies all around him, but he is confident that God will protect him. He says in verse 11, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Sometimes we may feel like we're in a corn maze and we will never find the path home. The twists and turns seem never-ending. How will I ever get out of this mess I find myself in? When all I see is the corn all around me, I fail to consult the map and find the way forward.  

God has a plan, a good plan, a plan to give you a delightful inheritance. He wants you to trust him, and he will fill you with joy. David says that he praises the Lord and he knows that because the Lord is at his right hand, he will not be shaken (v. 8). Claim that promise today and every day. Allow God to show you the path of life. He is a good God. He is worthy of your trust.  

Why Not Now?

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at you right hand. (Psalm 16:11)

I’ve known people who have looked forward to “passing on to the other side.” I mean really looked forward to it! Can’t wait! Inside of them reverberates Job’s soulful yearning, “And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:26, 27). How precious the childlike faith that rests in the promises of God.

So why is it we freely trust Christ for eternal life in the hereafter, yet struggle to trust Him for fullness of life in the here-and-now? He would eagerly prove Himself to be our daily bread, but we far prefer to gather up a lifetime supply and then hover over it as sentinels of fear. God would broadly display His glory through our acts of love, but we nervously pass by our neighbors in need, diverting our attention to trifling matters of little consequence. The Spirit would breathe new life into empty souls, but we hide the good news behind locked jaws as though people’s acceptance of us is somehow more important than God’s salvation for them. If we trust God for an unseen glory that awaits us, why not now?

Maybe it is because we are utterly helpless in the face of death that we lay back and rest ourselves completely in the hands of God for what inevitably is to come. If so, we would do well to understand we likewise have no real way of loving God in this life but to live our faith through obedience. “If anyone loves me,” said Jesus, “he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23, 24). Obeying God in faith—loving Him—is something we can do “on this side,” before we see him face-to-face. 

He has much for us to do in the here-and-now, and all of it matters for eternity. Can’t wait!

Father, I confess there is nothing so fulfilling in life as obeying you and knowing your pleasure. There is nothing more humbling than glorifying you through deeds done for others in love, faith and obedience. Lead me in fullness of life, for it is only found in you. In Jesus' name, I pray. May it be so today.

[Read the Scripture for the day in Psalm 16.]

Prayer is Shouting -- Keep me Close LORD

Psalm 16:1 (NIV) Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. 

The word refuge has a number of meanings, but I see this word as a comforting thing. So many days I seek refuge, I look for a good place to hunker down and regroup. Often I look for a place to think things through, not in a desperate way, nor because of a devastating day, just because I need time to process the events. But that is how I am wired. You may be entirely different. You may seek the company of friends to do your processing.

For some, the time early in the morning, with coffee cup in one hand and The Word of God in the other speaks of refuge. Often I seek out my favorite chair in my quiet corner and begin the day with God. Morning people often take their refuge this way. God is my refuge--therefore I start out armed with the necessary gear and safety apparel, prepared for whatever work He has set aside for me this day.

Psalm 16:11 (NIV)You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

When the day is done, a review of events completes the process. Looking over the day, I examine my actions and reactions and determine if it was a good day; if I allowed myself to be used by God in way that glorified Him.  Beginning and ending a day in the presence of God, using Scripture and Prayer on both ends of the day as a hiding place, a refuge, keeps me safe.

Psalm 14, 15, 16