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Gleanings From The Word

Category: Prayer

  • Psalm 25: Teach Me Your Ways, Lord

    A meditating spot overlooking the ocean. A place to think on God's teaching

    This morning, I’ve been reading in Psalm 25. It seemed a natural place after reading Psalm 24. I’m just going to camp on one small section of the Psalm this morning, so let me give you an overview of the entire thing first. It’s worth reading and meditating on. 

    Psalm 25 opens with David lifting his soul to the Lord and trusting Him not to let him be put to shame before his enemies. From there he asks God to teach him, to lead him in truth, and to remember him according to mercy rather than the sins of his youth. He pauses to reflect on who God is: good, upright, ready to instruct sinners and guide the humble.

    Then the urgency returns. David cries out for God to look on his affliction, forgive his sin, and deliver him from his enemies because he has taken refuge in the Lord. He doesn’t stop with himself either; he closes by asking God to redeem all of Israel out of their troubles. The prayer moves from trust, to teaching, to reflection, to rescue, and finally outward to the whole people of God.

    Like David, we often find ourselves in situations where we need help and refuge. We call out and He answers. But David does more than call out to YAHWEH for help; he asks God to teach Him.

    Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

    teach me your paths.

    Lead me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are the God of my salvation;

    for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:4-5 ESV

    God is so much more than a cosmic genie to bail us out of trouble and keep us out of hell. Our faith walk is more than crying out to God when we have a need. The Lord wants to be in a relationship with us and to make us more like Jesus.

    The lord loves those with humble hearts who seek Him and His desires. He loves to teach us His ways and sanctify us. The more we become like Christ, the more freely we call out to Him; we crave His presence, not just think of Him as an afterthought when we are in trouble.

    I know who I am without the Lord at work in my life. I don’t want to be that person anymore. I want the fruit of the Spirit to show abundantly in my life.

    Lord, teach me to judge less and extend grace and forgiveness more easily. Teach me to keep my mouth closed to inappropriate things and to allow words of blessing to come forth. Make me kind and generous, learning to put others first rather than thinking that I’m the center of the universe and everything is about me. Create in me a clean heart. Teach me to be faithful.

    Thank you for the Spirit and the Word. Thank you that I’m not who I once was and that you are transforming me into who you call me to be.

    May we be like David and seek the Lord’s face and to be transformed into His image.

    May you be blessed today,

    Kevin

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    SUMMARY

    This morning I’m reading in Psalm 25 and camping on David’s request that God teach him His ways, not just rescue him from trouble. I’m reminded that a relationship with the Lord means wanting to be shaped into Christ’s likeness, not just calling on Him when I need help.

    TAKEAWAY

    Psalm 25 moves from trust, to teaching, to reflection on God’s character, to urgent rescue, and finally outward to all of Israel.

    David asks God to teach him His ways in Psalm 25:4-5, showing that our faith is about more than calling out to God in crisis.

    The Lord wants to sanctify us and grow the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, not just answer our prayers for deliverance.

    Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone) 

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  • Crowns of glory

    Crowns of glory

    Water droplet crown

    I like to watch water drip and form perfect little crowns as it impacts the surface beneath it. I’ve never quite managed to get the photo of that event I wanted, so this morning I’m using someone else’s shot to illustrate it (I couldn’t track down the photographer’s contact info, so I couldn’t give them credit). 

    What can I say? Some people say small things amuse small minds, but personally, I think we simply become blasé and ambivalent about much of what we see about us. We look and see, but we never truly see.

    The physics involved in creating the drop aside, I think that it is quite a spectacular event every time it happens. We tend to overlook it because it is small and common, but every one of those marvelous crowns is unique and really something to behold. It happens so fast that it is very difficult to appreciate without the aid of a photograph, but it is majestic, nonetheless. None of the crowns worn by any king or queen has the same beauty as that of a simple raindrop or the drip of atap. 

    That’s kind of humbling in a way. God dresses the everyday raindrop in a crown of splendor that surpasses the crown jewels of any monarch that ever lived. We are surrounded by infinite beauty created by God that we simply never take the time to notice. 

    The crown of the raindrop, the puff of a dandelion, the curve of a mouse’s whiskers, and more escape our gaze, yet they surround us. 

    When I am trout fishing, the flash of a rainbow as a trout leaps out of the water should take my breath away, but I often miss it in the excitement. 

    Such things are not seen with our busy eyes. They require us to be still and truly look at our surroundings. When we do that, we can sample a taste of the glories of God. 

    These things are to be appreciated, but not worshipped; after all, we worship the creator, not the created. Yet they can draw us ever closer to Him. 

    We are called to pause and think on Him. 

    Commit your way to the Lord;
        trust in him, and he will act.
    He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
        and your justice as the noonday.

    Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
        fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
        over the man who carries out evil devices!     Psalm 37:5-7

    “Be still, and know that I am God.
        I will be exalted among the nations,
        I will be exalted in the earth!”     Psalm 46:10 

    I can hardly wait until glory, when we will be able to truly appreciate all He has created without the veil of sin on our eyes. When we can do that, I think we will be much more able to give Father the praise and glory due His name. 

    When was the last time you stopped and were still? I mean, truly still with no background music, no cell phone, just you and God and the wonders of His creation. When was the last time you paused to look at the wonders of His handiwork? 

    If you are like most of us, it has been too long. Take some time today and just look for the crown jewels our Lord has put in your path. 

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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