Show Me, Lord!

Show me your ways, Lord,

   teach me your paths.

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

   for you are God my Savior,

   and my hope is in you all day long.

- David, Psalm 25:4-5

Too often, we find ourselves asking God for things we want, whether it be a better job, a healthier marriage, more obedient children, or for life simply to be a little easier. But, I wonder, how often do we stop and ask God to show us His ways for us, His path for our life, and to guide us into His truth.

I know that when I do that, while it may not solve all the problems in my life, it brings me peace and joy, and it puts things in proper perspective.

I begin to realize that life is not about getting what I want, but about being who God wants me to be.

As David writes, “God is my Savior, and my hope is in Him all day long.”

In this 25th Psalm, David goes on to reiterate what our lives should be about, not a pursuit of personal happiness and gain, but a devotion to our God. In verses 8-11, he writes,

Good and upright is the Lord;

   therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right

   and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful

   toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

For the sake of your name, Lord,

   forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

These verses inspire, encourage, and convict me all at the same time. Though I am a sinner (and I am) and will surely let Him down, He instructs me in His Ways. If I remain humble (which is an ongoing challenge), He will guide me in what is right and teach me His way. If I remain faithful to keeping His Word alive and active in my heart and the way in which I conduct myself (which I must work at each day), He is always loving and faithful. And, for His sake (because He, for some reason, actually desires a relationship with me), He forgives my sin, though it is great.

And not only that, when I seek to walk in His ways, verses 12-15 tell me four things that will happen in my life… four things that will happen in our lives when we walk with Him...

1.     He will instruct us in the way we should go (vs. 12)

2.     We will experience His goodness in our lives (vs. 13)

3.     He will confide in us and make His promises known to us (vs. 14)

4.     He will set us free from the entrapments of this life (vs. 15)

What an amazing God we serve!

PRAY: Lord, show us your ways, teach us your paths, instruct us as to how to live, guide us into what is right, and forgive us when we sin and fall short. For we desire to experience Your goodness, to know Your promises, and to be set free from the things of this world that pull us away from You. You are God our Savior, and it is in You that we hope ALL DAY LONG. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone. I invite you to take some time today to remember the men and women who gave their lives so that we might experience the freedom we enjoy today in this great country in which we live. And, at the same time, I encourage you to remember the One who gave His life to offer us freedom from the penalty of sin.

Pastor Ken

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