Thursday, March 29, 2012

Look to God and God's strength;
seek to serve God constantly.
Psalm 105:4

     Wouldn't it be awesome if there were a God app?  A button we could touch on our phone that would bring up the face of God and answer all our questions, help us make decisions, show us what the next right step is?  We wouldn't have to think twice about what to do, we'd have it readily available on our phone.  Though, if the cell tower went down, it would be chaos.

     Life isn't simple.  There is no button to push, no central database to give us the answers.  Life is a journey, filled with joy, grace, suffering, fear, love, disappointment, miracles....and the list goes on.  The beauty of life comes in the vast spectrum of experiences it offers.  Like a tapestry, each stitch adds color and design to the broader picture.  Each experience we have adds to the full picture of our lives.  Sometimes the experience is a joy-filled one,  but often times our experience can be painful.  It is a gift of the spiritual life to realize that each experience is important to the whole.  

     Developing an intimate relationship with God is the app we need.   Spending time in prayer, in meditation, in discernment, in dreaming opens up a line of communication directly into our hearts and minds.  Seeking God's will instead of our own will lead us to making the next right choice, taking the next right step.  It's not easy for us humans to do this, and sometimes we will fail at the task - often in great ways with big consequences.  That's OK.  We will find that God's abundant grace will be waiting for us, will surround us, and will help us get back on track. 

     So, today, let us look to God in prayer and see the face of God in one another;  let us find God's strength and hold on to it tightly so we are not derailed as we hit the bumps of life;  let us seek to serve God and God's people so the love of God may be manifested in our world.

Prayer:  God of grace and wisdom, your presence and help is always available to us, but our world of instant gratification and instant information often leaves us wishing for a clearer, quicker way to find you.  Help us this day to appreciate time - time with you, time seeing the world around us, and time just being, so that our lives can reflect your never-ending love and faithfulness.