Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in His ways, and by keeping His commandments and His statutes and His rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
Reaction: I have received so many wonderful insights from my prayer sessions, but sometimes I wonder if I’m applying them as faithfully as I should. I looked in the topic index in several issues of Our Daily Bread for something that would help me live according to the insights I received. I don’t know exactly what topic I was looking for (perhaps resolve or steadfastness), but I finally decided on this passage listed under Obedience. Interestingly, the short narrative given before the reading spoke of taking small steps towards a life dedicated to Christ. Earlier in the week I had been thinking I was getting off track on my weight maintenance, and that I needed to make a few more small changes to reverse the bad trend. So it makes sense that just as with anything else, I would make small changes in my spiritual life instead of expecting a complete transformation. With this in mind, I began to contemplate on the passage from Deuteronomy. Several reflections came to mind:
1) What God is commanding in this passage is pretty basic: simply to love Him, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments. I can’t expect to do all of these things all of the time, but if I strive to follow these guidelines, I can’t go wrong.
2) I am sometimes troubled by my lack of trust in God's providence, by harboring ill-will towards others, or by focusing on temporal concerns that steal my concentration away from Christ. But I received hope from the phrase “But if your heart turns way, and you will not hear…” I know that I have not turned away from trusting in God, and I do continue to hear Him, regardless of my occasional lapses. Overall, I know I have chosen life and good over death and evil, and so I will surely not perish.
3) Just as I didn’t lose 80 pounds in just one year or become a decent dancer after a few lessons, I shouldn’t expect to become a beacon of holiness and a perfect Christian even with my fruitful prayer life. In fact, it’s quite obvious that neither I nor anyone else will ever be a perfect Christian, though that’s not a bad goal to shoot for. This reminds me of another life lesson I learned from my dance instructor. He pointed out that there’s no such thing as a perfect ballroom dancer, and though he’s won competitions, he still takes coaching from more renowned dancers. He continues to study new techniques and practices with his partner constantly. We are all striving to be better at the things that are important to us, and we do indeed improve with practice and additional instruction.
4) There are certainly small changes I can make in my life to walk in God’s ways more often. I can make a habit of praying for the grace to see God in all things and dedicate my all I do to the Lord every time I leave the house. I already offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving part as of my morning routine, and I'm pretty good about keeping God before me when I am by myself, but He often falls to the sidelines when I’m with others. By reminding myself of His role in my life when I open my front door, I can keep Him even more present in my life. I can also resolve to say a prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help whenever I start to fall into temptation. I truly believe that my spiritual life is a process, and each small step I take brings me closer to being one with the Lord.
About Me
- Michele S.
- In 2007 I took an early retirement to ‘find myself’ and to discern God's plan for me. My journey has led me down many paths, where, among other things, I’ve cared for an ailing relative, volunteered with the needy, subbed in the schools, taught a fitness class, become a freelance resume writer, initiated a small prayer group, and competed in Senior Olympics Dance Sport events. My most rewarding experience has been developing a rich relationship with the Lord by praying daily with the scriptures. Each day I choose a Bible passage based on my mood or on the church calendar. Then I meditate on God’s words, imagining that Jesus is speaking them directly to me. I might repeat a specific word or phrase like a mantra, letting it envelope me and eventually find a place in my heart. I try to hear, feel or sense what God is trying to say to me through the scriptures. Finally, I respond with my own words and impressions, and record them in a prayer journal. From time to time I post these reflections on my blog ‘Seek Ye First’. I feel very blessed that my life is such a lovely balance of work (fun stuff, but little money!), play, family, friends, and most importantly, devotion to God.
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