Though I Walk

Today's Reading: Psalm 138 & Luke 16

Scripture:

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me." Psalm 138:7

Observation:

This passage lays out a great method for dealing with life.

Application:

The world is a fallen place. Adam's sin ushered in a declining cycle of sin, depravity and destruction. Everything that comes to man on earth comes at a price: trouble. My kid's respect comes at the expense of trouble. Harmony in my marriage comes through trouble. Success at my job comes through trouble. On and on the cycle goes. What I get on earth, I earn by the sweat of my brow. It is a fact of life that I must accept. Nothing comes easy.

I must walk. Quitting is not an option. The Psalmist doesn't say I sat on my butt until God did something. He said he walked in the midst of his trouble. Regardless of the pressures I face I must take a deep breath, calm my emotions, set my direction toward God, and get after it.

I will meet God in my exhaustion. The end of my strength, power, motivation, and passion is the meeting place of God. When I have worked to the point that I have nothing left; God has room to work. It is in the process of experiencing God revive me that I am able to get to know the reality of God.

My life is God's to defend. There is an element of pride in me that wants to take care of myself. I want to avenge the wrongs done to me. I want to make sure that I am not deceived. I want to make sure that I am treated fairly. But that is not my job. God does not respect me exalting my life or protecting what is mine. God respects me surrendering the results of my life to Him and depending on Him to do as He sees fit.

Prayer:

I will give You thanks today. Not because my life is easy. Not because I have everything I want. Not because I am full of strength. I give You thanks today because my life is Yours and You alone are worthy of my praise.

Father I ask that You forgive me of my whining and griping about the weight of life. There is a tendency for my desires to gravitate toward an easy life. That is not what Your Word promises. Your Word says that in this life I will have troubles, but in the midst of my troubles I will be renewed by Your strength. The only thing that matters is my submission to You.

Though I am pressed, I choose to walk. Though I am confused, I choose to walk. Though I am unsure, I choose to walk. Though I may be tired, I choose to walk. And though I choose to walk, my hope is only in You.