A delighted God

Good morning. This is a devotional for single adults from Parenting Solo, but the message also applies to single adults without children who may one day marry a single parent and be a step-parent. Feel Free to forward it to a friend.

Scripture: Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV) If the Lord delights in a man’s way,
he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

Psalm 37 is about patience and faith. Both are virtues we should all be seeking. Yet, we are human, and we tend to stumble and fall from the path that God has chosen for us. This message is a reminder that God does, indeed, direct our steps. In order for God to delight in our steps, we must be walking with him. When a person comes alongside an elderly or infirm person who has difficulty walking, the helper not only directs the steps, he keeps the person upright. We don’t look at it as a chore to help the person.

That is what God does with us every day – if we let him. Therein lies the challenge. Because we are human, we want to direct our own path sometimes. A battle of wills always seems to be going on. Occasionally, God lets us choose our own path, just to let us know what that really feels like. He lets us stumble and face the consequences of our actions. When we turn back to him for a helping hand, he makes us upright again.

Note that our steps are firm when the Lord delights in our ways. God clearly does not delight in our sinful ways. That is the key, to be in God’s will. One day, we honor him, the next, we stumble. Maybe God is working on our pride or our humility, or some such thing. Sometimes, the path seems to clear for days on end. Life is good. Then, perhaps overconfidence overwhelms us. We think we are stronger than we really are. That’s when we stumble. It’s a day-to-day challenge. We must accept the challenge and make the most of it.

We mustn’t think that God doesn’t have the time for our little old lives. He is omnipotent and omniscient – he is all powerful and knows everything that is ahead of us. God cares about each one of our lives, equally. You might say that we gain privilege or more time with God, but only because we are being obedient, which makes God delight in our ways. God wants a relationship with us every day, every hour, every minute, every second. When we call upon the Lord, he is delighted in us.

How does this apply to my life?

Today’s prayer: Lord, help me to walk in your ways. I want you to delight in my ways, so help me to be obedient. Help me to follow your path today. Amen

Doug Mead
Parenting Solo

Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Vol. 4, No. 61

This week’s reading plan can be found at http:/www.oneyearbibleonline.com/june.asp?version=51