Better is One Day – Today

Lectionary text: 1 Samuel 3:1-20, Psalm 139, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.       Psalm 139:1-10 (NLT)

I pray that your Monday is starting out with hope and peace. The statististics of this world tell us that most Mondays (or any other day) are not characterized with hope and peace. We live in a world that is difficult to navigate with my own knowledge and understanding. My reasoning cannot bring me through the troubled waters filled with questions that have no easy answers with just my own knowledge.

Each of the lectionary texts speaks to my heart and spirit about the “covering” that God provides in my life that loves me and disciplines me. 1 Samuel speaks to the blessings of a childlike faith that turns to my Father because I know that whatever He has to say to me is worth listening to. “Speak, Lord”. And yet I also know that theere are consequences to my actions and God is the only one who can judge me fairly so that I do grow closer to Him. 1 Corinthians reminds me that I am bought with a price. There has never been a higher cost than the one that Jesus paid for me. And then the passage in John’s gospel reminds me of the great gift that I have been given – and I can give it away – and yet have even more of God in my life because I freely give what I know about Him away.

Discouragement is like a cloud over what I can see in my life. It blocks out the sun (Jesus) that is and always will be in my life. It tries to tell me that my life does not have any “Son-” light in it. But God who is above any cloud in my life is there watching over me and speaking to me about how to step into the light once again. God knows that the cloud is only temporary. He knows that the light is still there even when I cannot see it.

Let us listen to the One who speaks only the truth to us. Yes, I live in this world but it does not have to dictate the reality of how I live in this world.

Father, fill me with Your truth. Guide me in your love and peace.

I hope this song encourages you today as it has encouraged me.
Better is One Day by Matt Redman (1995)