July 7th - Reflection

Psalm 119:73-80 (NRSV)
Living in faithfulness

Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word.
I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right,
and that in faithfulness you have humbled me.
Let your steadfast love become my comfort
according to your promise to your servant.
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
for your law is my delight.
Let the arrogant be put to shame,
because they have subverted me with guile;
as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
Let those who fear you turn to me,
so that they may know your decrees.
May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
so that I may not be put to shame.

Reflection
How I want to please God. I want to be faithful to God. I want God to be happy with me. I want to do God's will and walk in the way that God wants me to walk. I want to make God smile and be glad that God created me. But I mess it up all the time. I do the things I know God won't like. They seem tempting and they seem like they would be fun things to do, so I do them, knowing that God doesn't like these things. And then I feel bad about it. I know that God is displeased with me and I am ashamed of myself. So I hide from God. I run the other way.

God knows when I sin. God knows me better than I know myself. So God comes to me in Jesus. God speaks to me through the Spirit. God reaches out to me as a loving Father. God takes me in and cares for me and loves me, even in my sin. I repent and promise to do better. I change and God renews me and uses me.

All this makes me think about God. I meditate about God. I try to be pleasing to God once again. Oh, how I love God, my Savior, my Guide, my Father!

Prayer
Lord, I love you...keep working with me and on me...make me your delight. --- Amen