There were four of us on the telephone prayer conference call this morning. We normally begin with a reading from the "Moravian Daily Texts" but just as we were starting the person who was leading said her electronic Bible (her "Kindle") stopped working, so we just leapt into prayer.
As we prayed, the "Watchword for the Day" kept leaping to mind, primarily the first, from Second Samuel 22:37 -
You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
(Click here to read it as I found it this morning.)Later in the day, as I was on my lunch break from Metro Transit training, I looked at the verse again, this time in context, that is, in connection with the entire chapter 22 of Second Samuel.
That verse is part of a song of victory, a song "David sang to the Lord... when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul."
God has saved me too. Most recently, even today, God saved me from fear. God saved me from focusing too much on the nerve-wracking experience I had last Friday when I first failed my driving test, spent an hour or more doing some more training, and then went out again and received a passing grade. It was so nerve wracking because a new driver only gets two chances to pass.
I am so thankful that I passed. The whole experience, including how shaky I was during the second attempt and how wrung out I felt after -- and how I've been thinking since then about all the other ways I could fail going forward -- the whole experience just leads me back to how much I am cast back on the promises of God, who will work out his purposes in my life. I can be confident in that no matter what.
Our enemy the devil wants us to focus on our failings. He wants to turn our attention from God's promises and toward our own weaknesses. Like the religious leaders who taunted Jesus on the cross, he will laugh and tell us we need to save ourselves. But just as Jesus refused to despair but instead relied on the strength of His Father, Jesus can and will help us to do the same. God the Father raised Jesus the Son from the dead. He will raise you too. Not only in the end, not only when you die and go to haven, but right in the middle of your life now.
I will continue to take steps forward with this process. But I will keep moving forward because I believe God has me in his plan. This weekend we listed our Cokato house for sale. I have no idea how the selling process will go but I will continue to take steps in that process too.
God caught me I failed. He did not let me fail the second time. I think that's because he wants me to serve Him in some way through serving as a bus operator -- at least for awhile. He lifted me up and is now re-filling me with confidence so I can pass the next trial. In Second Samuel, King David found that to be true in his life. I believe that will be the same for me -- and for my family -- and for all of those who we've been privileged to know and to love in Jesus' name.
Take a look at Second Samuel 22. In what ways has God rescued you from defeat and despair up until now? How do you need him to do that for you today? Will you ask him to do so? Maybe it would be good to ask someone to pray with you too.
God can and will lead you from right where you are. He will bring you through. He will use the abilities he has poured into you and he will intervene and intercede in unexpected ways. He will make a good path for you, so you will be able to keep going. Your spiritual ankles will not be injured. You will receive just what you need when you trust in our Lord.
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*Those who have followed this blog for some time will know that I have been part of an early morning prayer group on the phone for the past few years. Those participating now, other than myself, are all part of the Mission Point Church staff -- a church that meets in a movie theater in Roseville, MN and various "missional communities" in the Twin Cities area.
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