Reading: Psalms 50, 51
My Verse: "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!" (50:23)
Many want to say and believe that there is no one right way to live. They seek the kind of life that promotes oneself and strives for a "good time." Even many "Christian" groups promote this kind of life - the "wealth and health" seekers. But it is all surface. You, LORD God, want more from us. You demand more from us. We are to be as the one "who orders his way rightly."
You seek out our hearts - our innermost being.
"Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart" (Psalm 51:6).
Avoiding You, LORD God plays itself out in our lives badly. This is so evident in the lives of many in the Bible. King David wrote this Psalm after he put You aside and sought after his own selfish personal and brief pleasure. The consequences of his straying were to be quite devastating. And this is what happens in most lives. Without You as our moral compass we cannot live as we ought. We quickly spiral downward.
This is true even of countries - without a moral compass that gives them the structure to order their way rightly they will founder. David Brooks wrote an article for the New York Times entitled "The Spiritual Recession". He speaks of what happens when we, as Americans, let go of our faith in the basic tenets upon which our country, the U.S. A., was founded. "Without vibrant faith, there is no spiritual counterweight to rampant materialism. . . . Without faith, leaders grow small; they have no sacred purpose to align themselves with. . . the country grows strangely indifferent to democratic heroes." He states our country's goals were based on "the idea that biblical morality is necessary precisely because people are selfish and shortsighted . . . " One needs only to read our constitution to see how very lofty were the ideals of those that crafted it. Our constitution basically implores its citizens as You LORD God call us here to be as one "who orders his way rightly."
By not ordering our way rightly we miss the mark of a truly wonderful, purposeful and good life - the kind of life You would have us to live, "a full and abundant life" (John 10:10).
Brooks ends his article with, "But if America isn't a champion of universal democracy, what is the country for? A great inheritance is being squandered . . ."
I try to watch the news to be aware of what is happening but it makes me so sad when I see bad legislation being passed, legislation that goes against Your laws, LORD God. It makes me sad when I have so little to choose from in electing our leaders - because they all seem so lacking in strong moral fiber and courage to do the right thing. How we as a country, as citizens need to look to You, LORD God for our salvation.
Thank You, LORD God, for this reminder of Your call to us to look to You for our moral compass! Without You we cannot order our way rightly. Without You we are lost.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!" (50:23)
Many want to say and believe that there is no one right way to live. They seek the kind of life that promotes oneself and strives for a "good time." Even many "Christian" groups promote this kind of life - the "wealth and health" seekers. But it is all surface. You, LORD God, want more from us. You demand more from us. We are to be as the one "who orders his way rightly."
You seek out our hearts - our innermost being.
"Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart" (Psalm 51:6).
Avoiding You, LORD God plays itself out in our lives badly. This is so evident in the lives of many in the Bible. King David wrote this Psalm after he put You aside and sought after his own selfish personal and brief pleasure. The consequences of his straying were to be quite devastating. And this is what happens in most lives. Without You as our moral compass we cannot live as we ought. We quickly spiral downward.
This is true even of countries - without a moral compass that gives them the structure to order their way rightly they will founder. David Brooks wrote an article for the New York Times entitled "The Spiritual Recession". He speaks of what happens when we, as Americans, let go of our faith in the basic tenets upon which our country, the U.S. A., was founded. "Without vibrant faith, there is no spiritual counterweight to rampant materialism. . . . Without faith, leaders grow small; they have no sacred purpose to align themselves with. . . the country grows strangely indifferent to democratic heroes." He states our country's goals were based on "the idea that biblical morality is necessary precisely because people are selfish and shortsighted . . . " One needs only to read our constitution to see how very lofty were the ideals of those that crafted it. Our constitution basically implores its citizens as You LORD God call us here to be as one "who orders his way rightly."
By not ordering our way rightly we miss the mark of a truly wonderful, purposeful and good life - the kind of life You would have us to live, "a full and abundant life" (John 10:10).
Brooks ends his article with, "But if America isn't a champion of universal democracy, what is the country for? A great inheritance is being squandered . . ."
I try to watch the news to be aware of what is happening but it makes me so sad when I see bad legislation being passed, legislation that goes against Your laws, LORD God. It makes me sad when I have so little to choose from in electing our leaders - because they all seem so lacking in strong moral fiber and courage to do the right thing. How we as a country, as citizens need to look to You, LORD God for our salvation.
Thank You, LORD God, for this reminder of Your call to us to look to You for our moral compass! Without You we cannot order our way rightly. Without You we are lost.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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