FaithWalkDaily January 8, 2009
To begin this new year, my soul desires to take a walk through the Psalms. We may spend the next year or more on this exciting road. The Psalms speak dearly to me at this stage of my life, when so much has changed and the "world" reels out of control in its quest for self gratification. The more liberal the world becomes, the more difficult it is to follow our compass due north. I pray you will be blessed as we hike this trail together.
~Psalms 1
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers. 2 But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.
4 But this is not true of the wicked. They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
When I was young, due to circumstances beyond my control, life was lonely and frustrating. I'd already begun to contemplate suicide by the age of nine. As a result, I lived much of the time in a fantasy world just to survive. When I finally found a friend who really seemed to want to be with me, she led me into a circle of companions who were all outcasts, just like me. I finally fit in and felt like I belonged. These kids were the chaff, lawless and unholy. Our existence was dominated by mind altering substances. We survived by escaping deeper into non-reality.
I can only praise God with all my heart that He rescued me from certain death. I often wonder what's happened to all those other lost souls and pray for their salvation, if they're still alive. Some have been found living tormented lives, resigned to a fate of misery. One claims to be a Christian but her life is ruled by an abusive conniving husband. Another is into spiritism and crystals.
When we're in that lost world, we don't know what we don't know. Do the wicked have any idea about their fate? Would they seriously continue on the path they've chosen if they really believed their destination was eternal suffering? Have they not suffered enough here on earth? They not only don't know, they don't want to know, and they keep themselves well numbed so they never have to think about it.
When I emerged from an alcoholic stupor nearly 20 years ago, there was an emptiness in my soul that hungered to be filled. That hunger was the desire to know God. When the wicked tried to draw me back into the darkness, I experienced the joys the psalmist speaks of in verse 1 when I turned toward God instead. There has always been a certain affinity with the wayward that requires me to be on my toes at all times. This is why daily devotion, prayer and writing about my spiritual journey is so important for me.
This is my life goal: to delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night and think about his law. To be like a tree planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail, with leaves that never wither, prospering in all I do (reaping God's blessings.)
To begin this new year, my soul desires to take a walk through the Psalms. We may spend the next year or more on this exciting road. The Psalms speak dearly to me at this stage of my life, when so much has changed and the "world" reels out of control in its quest for self gratification. The more liberal the world becomes, the more difficult it is to follow our compass due north. I pray you will be blessed as we hike this trail together.
~Psalms 1
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers. 2 But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.
4 But this is not true of the wicked. They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
When I was young, due to circumstances beyond my control, life was lonely and frustrating. I'd already begun to contemplate suicide by the age of nine. As a result, I lived much of the time in a fantasy world just to survive. When I finally found a friend who really seemed to want to be with me, she led me into a circle of companions who were all outcasts, just like me. I finally fit in and felt like I belonged. These kids were the chaff, lawless and unholy. Our existence was dominated by mind altering substances. We survived by escaping deeper into non-reality.
I can only praise God with all my heart that He rescued me from certain death. I often wonder what's happened to all those other lost souls and pray for their salvation, if they're still alive. Some have been found living tormented lives, resigned to a fate of misery. One claims to be a Christian but her life is ruled by an abusive conniving husband. Another is into spiritism and crystals.
When we're in that lost world, we don't know what we don't know. Do the wicked have any idea about their fate? Would they seriously continue on the path they've chosen if they really believed their destination was eternal suffering? Have they not suffered enough here on earth? They not only don't know, they don't want to know, and they keep themselves well numbed so they never have to think about it.
When I emerged from an alcoholic stupor nearly 20 years ago, there was an emptiness in my soul that hungered to be filled. That hunger was the desire to know God. When the wicked tried to draw me back into the darkness, I experienced the joys the psalmist speaks of in verse 1 when I turned toward God instead. There has always been a certain affinity with the wayward that requires me to be on my toes at all times. This is why daily devotion, prayer and writing about my spiritual journey is so important for me.
This is my life goal: to delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night and think about his law. To be like a tree planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail, with leaves that never wither, prospering in all I do (reaping God's blessings.)
The path is ever upward and winding through unknowns,
Sometimes it is a narrow cliff side way;
It is rocky, often risky, even perilous,
So often we must stop to rest and pray.
The steep ascent will level, it gives way to gentle slopes,
We dance and sing out praises to our King!
We revel, now rejoicing, even carelessly;
Disregarding this is not the end we seek.
As we gather in our revelries, the enemy sneaks in,
Ever vigilant, he aims to take us down;
He's devious and clever, the relentless one;
How quickly we forget that he's around.
Holy Spirit, blessed counselor, gently prods us on the way.
Revived now, we're alert, and armor clad;
Our faithful guide will lead us toward our home again,
Where sorrow is forgotten with the past.
Come Friends who love the Savior, join this journey now,
Don't stop, though there be times when you might rest.
Steer clear of those who can't or will not help you,
Fore go the joys of earth to pass this test.
May we be filled with God's blessings as we travel this marvelous road into the Psalms together this year. In Jesus' name, amen.
