Thoughts for the Day

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.’...

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures for ever
or let your faithful one see the Pit.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

How do you know the way to go? Well, if it's an address you're looking for, I would put the postcode into my phone and follow the instructions. The directions usually get me there, even if I make a mistake and have to be redirected back to the correct route. Mind you this didn't work recently for a car that got stuck crossing a ford over a usually tiny trickle of water, when rain upstream sent a tidal wave of water downstream. But what about if it's our faith, how do we know if we're on the right path this Lent, especially when we might need to make a decision as to which way to go?

Psalm 16 is quite sure it knows the answer. The writer chooses to give his loyalty to God - his security, his welfare, his worship, and even his ambitions. His utter confidence is breath-taking. It is God who will save him from Sheol, which in Hebrew simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls”. He closes the psalm with the confident cry that God will "show me the path of life", and we get an image of being led by the right hand to somewhere that offers us the delights of Heaven.

I sometimes like to think, of finding this path of life in one of two ways:

• Picture a person standing before three or four doors which are all shut. How will they know which way to go; which one should they open? The answer for a Christian is to pray and ask for God's help, then try to open a door. Only one door will open; or only one job will occur; or only one plan will be successful.
• Alternatively examine yourself carefully before God. Using the rule of 'Love God and love others' how does any path you intend to take stand up? The way to go should become apparent.

Lord God,
when we are not sure of the way to go,
and which path to follow,
may we turn to You in confidence
knowing that You will guide us.
May we examine our choices
in the light of our love for You
and for others,
before taking the right path forward.
Amen.