Living in the Spirit
July 21, 2023
Scripture Reading: Psalm 86:11-17
Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love towards me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
O God, the insolent rise up against me;
a band of ruffians seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant;
save the child of your serving-maid.
Show me a sign of your favor
so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
This psalm ties together being taught The Lord’s ways and living them, not being divided. It is one thing to know what is right and another to live it. I believe that the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount, for example, teach us how to function in society one with all others. Those of us who cut our teeth on both scriptures often stray away from them ourselves while judging others for not following “God’s ways” that are not actually in any scripture and divide ourselves from God by doing one thing that we are taught, not judging others.
Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. –Mathew 7:1-5
We have become a society where we cannot believe anything we hear. Leaders tell us that if they said it, it is true when it is not. Greed is one of the most respected traits in our society. Adultery is normal.
And of course, we must remember and live the most important Commandment.
Mark 12:30-31–you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’
Prayer: Lord, help us to Do [our] best to present [ourselves] to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15). 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.