The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. [Psalm 23:2-3 (NLT)]
For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing. [Jeremiah 31:25 (NLT)]
A weary body and a sorrowful soul described me Saturday morning. Twice in the last twelve days one family member came perilously close to death while another loved one entered Hospice care. Most of last week was spent in airports, on planes, or at a hospital bedside. Having finally gotten home well past midnight, I crawled out of bed that morning physically and mentally exhausted.
Hoping to clear the cobwebs from my mind, I took a walk in a nearby park. The psalms often speak of water refreshing us but, for me, it is a walk outside. As the butterflies danced in the sunshine, my spirits began to lift. Nevertheless, my mind was churning and I was still trying to solve and control situations that I can neither solve nor control.
Hoping to spot a few canna lilies from the boardwalk, I kept looking over the right railing. An inner voice clearly told me that I’d see something special on the other side. “Forget it,” said another voice, “God isn’t a park ranger guiding you on a nature walk. You’re going to feel like an idiot when nothing’s there!” Indeed, I had to agree. God certainly has better things to do than point out flowers in a park. Something, however, kept nudging me so, feeling rather foolish, I crossed to the opposite railing and looked down. There, right below me, invisible from the other side of the boardwalk, was a family of playful raccoons.
For many, that sighting might not mean much but, for me, those raccoons were a gift from God! They renewed me the way green meadows and peaceful streams refreshed David. They made me realize how my life overflows with blessings. Guiding me to those endearing critters was God’s way of saying “Listen to me and trust me. Trust me to guide your loved ones through this valley. Trust me for all the comfort, guidance and provision you and your family need.”
I don’t normally hear a voice that so clearly directs my actions; Saturday I did. Some might dismiss it as intuition but I think that small voice was the Holy Spirit bringing me a message of comfort and hope. The enemy, however, tried to steal that from me with doubt. Fortunately, I took a few steps in faith and God showed me that I can trust Him and take Him at His word.
The situation of those I love has not changed but, after sighting those masked bandits in the woods, my perspective has. If God can guide me to the other side of the boardwalk for an “Aha!” moment, I will trust that, in His own time and way, He will gently guide my loved ones through their dark valleys to the other side.
I recently made up the guest list for my mother-in-law’s 100th birthday party. Shortly before the party, I will determine the seating arrangements and decide who gets to sit with the birthday girl and who gets to sit with the various youngsters. Without place cards, everyone will want to sit with the guest of honor and no one will be anxious to sit with the toddlers or near the kitchen.
“We covet your prayers,” said the new pastor. This was the second time in two weeks I’d heard someone say they coveted my prayers and the phrase bothered me. For more than twenty-five years, I recited “Thou shalt not covet” as part of the Communion liturgy, so coveting anything speaks of sin to me. Granted, neither speaker was expressing a desire for my spouse, home or donkey; nevertheless, the phrase touched a nerve. If coveting is a sin, why did these men (both pastors) say they coveted my prayers?
If there ever was a time for wisdom, this election season is it. I’ve watched debates, read articles, researched claims, listened to the pundits, and still haven’t decided. The choice seems to be between bad and worse and whoever is worse seems to change daily.
I know a lot of knowledgeable people, educated and erudite, some of whom may even be MENSA members. I also know several wise people, many of whom are neither learned nor especially well-read. While they might never come close to passing MENSA’s membership requirements, I would much prefer their wise advice to that of someone who is merely book smart or scholarly.
I admit to having left some church services feeling like I just “mailed it in” and that’s not the way to worship our wonderful glorious God. It’s been said that familiarity breeds contempt. In the case of familiar gospels, epistles, songs and liturgy, while familiarity may not breed contempt it may breed boredom. We’ve listened to the Benediction, Consecration or Absolution so often that we don’t even hear them and we’ve said the Lord’s Prayer, recited the Apostle’s Creed, or sung certain hymns so many times that the words exit our mouths without needing to pass through our hearts or minds.
Devotions of the Heart 