Living in the Spirit
July 27, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 107:1-9, 49

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   for his steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
   those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
   from the east and from the west,
   from the north and from the south.  

he led them by a straight way,
   until they reached an inhabited town.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty,
   and the hungry he fills with good things. —Psalm 107:1-3, 7-9

Several years ago, I attended a work related meeting in downtown Tulsa a few weeks before Advent. My church’s order for Advent candles resulted in receiving the wrong candles. After some major searching, we found a small store in Tulsa that had the candles we needed, and I agreed to purchase them on my trip. My day was pretty packed, and the little store appeared to be located just a few blocks from the office building where my meeting was. Thus, I determined the best time to get the candles was a quick trip on the lunch break. What I did not realize was that there was no easy way to get to the little store only five or so blocks away. Roads closed for repairs, one-way streets, and my lack of local knowledge resulted in my driving around in a growing state of anxiety for probably 45 minutes before I located the store, purchased the candles, and returned to my meeting on time. Yes, I did stop twice and ask for directions. I had no lunch, but I had the right candles. A brisk round trip walk of ten blocks would have given me a straight path to the store and back with enough time for lunch. It did not even enter my mind.

The Lord’s way is the righteous way that always is the better way, and we must be intentional about following it. Becoming familiar with the Lord’s way lays the foundation for its incorporation into our everyday lives where it becomes our first thought, not an afterthought. Maintaining an open line of communication with God assures us that God has our back when we step out in faith following the Lord’s way. And It’s OK to ask for directions when we seem to lose our way.

Prayer: Lord, help me to change my habits of living to make your way my preference for life. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.