Gentle Reader,
Completely spaced the fact that yesterday was Thursday and the crew was gathering for the Twitter chat. Not that I would have been able to participate, anyway. Had an eye appointment the resulted in numb, dilated eyes and a headache. Such is the fun of that yearly exam.
Kate asks us to think about: guide.
Go.
I have no sense of direction.
Really. Whatever way I am facing is North.
My mom and I went to an antique/junk/shabby chic/craft show last Saturday. I decided to be brave and drive us there, just so long as she would navigate. Good thing that she’s reliable, because I had no idea where I was, what turns I needed to make, or how to replicate the path to get back home. After perusing the treasures for awhile, we made our way up to one of our favorite bookstores. At this point, I argued with her and insisted that the store was on the right-hand side of the road.
It wasn’t.
Honestly, I’m surprised that I’m allowed to go anywhere by myself, let alone have a drivers license.
Later, as I thought about our day, my mind drifted to Psalm 119:
Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.– vs. 97-104 (NKJV)
When it comes to the important things of life – how to know and love God, how to love others – none of us has any clue. We don’t know which way to go. All natural paths lead straight to our own belly buttons, because we believe ourselves to be the center of the universe. How gracious of the Lord, then, to drop 66 books, written over centuries, across cultures and languages, into our laps. How kind of Him to say, “This is the way. Walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).
We don’t have to be lost. We don’t have to panic. God is ever-near, speaking through the words on the thin pages or the smartphone screens. His Spirit breathes life into the ink and graces our minds with understanding. We don’t have to wander. We don’t have to attempt to cut our own path blindly in the darkness.
So, perhaps we should stop viewing the Bible as such a great burden. Perhaps we should learn to love and cherish it. Perhaps we should study it hungrily, eagerly.
Just a thought.
Stop.
First and foremost,Marie, I’m sorry for the hard you are going through. You are in my prayers, every day.
And you’re so right; the Word is our guide, the only guide that’s reliable.
Just a thought? No, it’s Truth, and you are so very good at pointing it out.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/08/your-dying-spouse-354-freedomfrom-pain.html
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A day late and a dollar short as they say….
Honestly? Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so good at pointing out truth. It’s a case of “you get what you pray for.” I want God to give me wisdom and discernment, so I ask for it. He responds. Then I’m left with being…a thorn in the side of some folks. There are days when I tell Him that He should have picked a braver person.
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Love this Marie!
XO
Tammy
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Thanks, Tammy! (Sorry to respond so late. Life’s been busy).
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I am with you- I have no sense of direction at all! Fortunately I am quite good at looking at maps and memorising directions before I go somewhere because if I relied on my instinct I would definitely be lost. I love the comparison you make with the Bible. It’s even more important that we spend time familiarising ourselves with that before we set out on our day.
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You can read a map? I’m genuinely impressed. I couldn’t make my way through one of those fold-out terrors if I tried my hardest.
I’m glad that God hasn’t made His map difficult to read.
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Thanks for this reminder to keep looking up instead of inward. Stopping by from FMF!
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Thank you for stopping by! My apologies for responding so late; I am behind in my online life. 🙂
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Beautiful friend! The Word given to us….yes! Oh and I’ve come to rely on GPS. I’m not very good with directions either. I’m in the 50 spot this week.
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I need to purchase an actual GPS that lives in my car. Phone service isn’t always reliable and I’m paranoid about getting stuck somewhere.
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“Thank You, Father,” is the only response I can give to His kindness, mercy and grace that you so clearly highlighted in your post today.
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Amen, Esther. Even though I’m reading and responding to this three weeks later, I, too, am so thankful He gave us the Scriptures.
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Oh AMEN! I have to say I am thankful for my GPS which gets me to where I need to be. I don’t like driving to places I’ve never been. I’m in the #7 spot this week. Blessings!
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I don’t like driving places I have been. 🙂 Seriously, I just hate driving. One of these days I’ll be fabulous enough to have a chauffeur.
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Marie,
I smiled at your talks on sense of direction. I think that’s a common thing.
It always amazes me when I think about people who sketched out maps and were cartographers. How they learned to be so keenly aware of their surroundings.
I love what you have written here.
I see this more and more.
I don’t have a clue and not many people do.
On their own.
We are all stumbling and flailing around.
We all need help.
We all need God’s guidance.
It’s amazing just how confusing and conflicting our heart can be.
Great words here today
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“We all need help. We all need God’s guidance.”
Yes, absolutely. Forever and ever. There’s not one of us wise enough and pure enough to navigate life successfully without Him.
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