Thoughts for the Day

* Glendurgan Maze

With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.
I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.....
I will meditate on your precepts,
and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Do you like mazes? There are some wonderful mazes in the UK. The word 'maze' translates as 'delusion', and in the 16th century hedge mazes were greatly loved by the European royalty, and ever since we have loved mazes whether they are made out of stone, hedges, or maize. The oldest hedge maize is to be found at Hampton Court and was commissioned in 1700 by King William III. The longest is at Longleat in Wiltshire and is 2 miles long. It can take up to an hour and a half to complete. While the maze at Leeds Castle was created by using 2,400 yew trees.

Today's reading, Psalm 119, has 176 verses and is concerned with how we can keep God's precepts or laws. The psalmist asks God for help not to 'stray from his commandments'. He knows what God expects of him, but he doesn't want to get sidetracked by the things of this world.

Like the maze, we may know where we're going, but we can get side-tracked down dead-ends, and have to backtrack and try again. As with a maze we need to be aware of our surroundings and what is happening around us. We need to know what God wants of us - to love Him with all our heart - and how that should play out in our life - to love others as ourself. We should constantly examine ourselves to see if we are on God's right track!

Heavenly Father,
all too often we know where we're going
but we get sidetracked
by the things of this world
which attract us from Your path.
Help us to know what You want of us,
and to keep that ever before our eyes,
so that when we are tempted
to follow things not worthy of You,
we may turn back and try again.
Amen.