Wonderful Counselor

                My mom did a beautiful job transitioning our relationship as I moved from child to adulthood. While I was a teen, I knew I could talk to her about anything that was going on and she would give me advice. When I left home and became an adult, I knew I could ask her for advice and she would never judge me for anything I had done or was asking about. This worked in part because I have always been the type of person who tries to do the right thing. At times my mom told me that she could not give me an answer to my problem but she was confident that I would make the right call. It was important for me at times to figure things out on my own. One thing she never did was abandon me to my own life or problems. Instead I knew that even if I made the wrong call, I would always have someone there to help me get back on my feet.

                In Psalm 16, David describes how grateful he is that the Lord has guided him throughout his life. He says he feels sorry for those who worship false gods. He says, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” He also explains that the Lord counsels him and the Lord is always in his thoughts so he is able to be glad and rest even in chaos. David is confident that the Lord will not let him down.

                At times in my life, I am ashamed to admit that I have felt as if God wants me to fail. After asking His advice and receiving little to no answer, I feel as if I am left on my own make a choice I am not ready for. Fortunately, David reminds us that God does not leave us on our own to fail. Sometimes we must make our own choice, but the Lord puts up “boundary lines” in which we are able to thrive. He does not abandon us to our own mistakes but counsels us day and night and the mark of a good counselor is to know when to be silent. How can I expand my confidence in God’s instruction? Am I always willing to follow His instruction even when that means making my own choice? Do I trust Him to be with me through my successes and my failures? How should my confidence in God affect my behavior?

                Lord, thank You for always giving me the counsel I need. Thank You for the times that You trust me to make my own choices and for staying by my side even through the worst of my failures. Thank you that in Your presence I can find peace and rest. Help me to reflect on the peace You have placed in my life today. Amen.

Make Believe

            One of the most amazing parts of being a child is exercising your imagination. I watch my baby boy laugh every time our cat walks by and I wonder if he is pretending to explore a jungle or some foreign planet that his ship has landed on. Life is still such an adventure for him that I do not know that he has started pretending yet, but I look forward to sharing many adventures with him. As adults, we still use quite a bit of imagination but for different things. For example, when we hurt someone’s feelings we might pretend that it was their fault. We might pretend that because we are good friends with the leaders in our Church that we are more special to God than the other people who attend. We might pretend (in our own minds) that we are good people who could probably get into heaven on our own, but we have accepted Jesus as insurance for the afterlife.

            In Psalm 15, David describes a righteous person. He says that this person who is worthy to live with God would not speak ill of others or cause others harm. This person would love those the Lord loves and hate what the Lord hates. He would keep his word and give freely to others. He would not accept any bribes against innocent people and he would be a stronghold for the Lord. I could say that I have (maybe, at times, with a bit of imagination) lived all of these things, but I skipped over the very first thing David mentions because it is what I struggle with the most. David says the one who is worthy of living with the Lord is, “The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart.”

            I do my best to live honestly, but the easiest person to lie to is me. I often want to convince myself that I am a better person that I am or that my faults do not hurt the people around me, but this only keeps me from surrendering my shortcomings to the Lord and allowing the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection to overcome the sin in my life. What dishonesty do I hold in my heart right now? What do I need to surrender to the Lord? How can I work to live a life in which I acknowledge the truth in my heart?

            Lord, forgive me for hiding dishonesty in my heart. Help me to remember that your love overcomes my faults and that I do not have to hide them from You. Please instead help me to surrender my failures to You. Make my heart a place for truth. Amen.

Infant Stronghold

                As it turns out, humans are the only part of God’s creation whose infants are born completely helpless. Although we are at the top of the food chain and dominate the earth, if no one is there to take care of us when we are born, we will die. When my son was first born, I did not know how much caring for he would need. I had always heard that new mothers had to stay up all night, but I thought I would just catch up on sleep throughout the day. As it turns out, babies need to be taken care of throughout the day too! It was then I understood why my mom was staying in town for a few weeks to help me get adjusted and I also knew that I would do the same thing if I had a daughter one day.

                This morning I read Psalm 8 with my husband which is a Psalm of praise to God. The author also says to the Lord, “Because of Your adversaries, You have established a stronghold from the mouths of children and nursing infants to silence the enemy and the avenger.” He goes on to praise God for His great power and then acknowledges that God has given us a place of honor. God not only takes care of us but also has put us in charge of all of His creation. I think the author makes the statement he does about children in attempts to point out that we are helpless when we come to God, but in His loves he raises us and calls us His children.

                In what ways do I see God’s glory revealed through my own son? As a daughter of God, am I responsible with the things He has trusted me to take care of? Or am I still an infant in my faith? How can I take time to recognize his magnificence in my life today?

                God, please help me to recognize your majesty in the world around me. Thank you for the beautiful little boy you have blessed me with and for revealing Yourself through him. Help me to be responsible with all that You have trusted me to take care of, especially my son. Amen.