Lighting your spiritual path
Daily Scripture
Psalm 119:101-105
101 I haven’t set my feet on any evil path
so I can make sure to keep your word.
102 I haven’t deviated from any of your rules
because you are the one who has taught me.
103 Your word is so pleasing to my taste buds—
it’s sweeter than honey in my mouth!
104 I’m studying your precepts—
that’s why I hate every false path.
105 Your word is a lamp before my feet
and a light for my journey.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Psalm 119, an elaborate (176 verses!) Hebrew acrostic poem, “emphatically makes the point that God’s Instruction—that is, God’s will—is pervasively and extremely important in the lives of the faithful and the life of the world.” * Today’s five-verse excerpt offered a poetic image of savoring the wise principles we find in God’s word as much as we savor honey with our oatmeal or pancakes (cf. also Psalm 19:9-10)!
- The psalmist didn’t savor the Scriptures in a haphazard or casual way: “I’m studying your precepts.” Can you recall any times when, as you studied the Bible asking God for wisdom, you had the sweet sense of finding insight for a tough issue or challenge you faced? Earlier the psalmist said, “I keep your word close, in my heart” (Psalm 119:11). How can memorizing key parts of the Bible store them in your heart, always accessible to you at any time of need?
- Article 5 of the United Methodist Articles of Religion, which date back to church founder John Wesley, says “The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation.” (To read article 5, or the whole document, click here.) The Bible writings don’t magically answer all historical, scientific or financial questions, but we Methodists are convinced they lead to salvation. What parts of the Bible’s story most powerfully draw you to Christ’s renewing gift of salvation?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, in the Bible, I find the centuries-old story of how you’ve dealt with all kinds of people who loved and followed you. Help me learn more about how you weave my walk with you into that same story. Amen.
GPS Insights
Amy Oden
Dr. Amy Oden is Professor of Early Church History and Spirituality, teaching at several seminaries. Teaching is her calling, and she looks forward to every day with students. Her latest book (Right Here, Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness, Abingdon Press, 2017) traces ancient mindfulness practice for Christians today.
My late husband, Perry, loved to take road trips. He had grown up working on cars with his dad and liked to work on cars as well as drive them. We had wonderful drives out west, camping and mountain-biking through Utah, Wyoming and Montana. When we lived in Washington, D.C., road trips took us up to Maine, to the Canaan Valley of West Virginia and to the Finger Lakes of New York. These are some of my most cherished memories of life with Perry.
In the car, we had the freedom of soaring down the road, the simplicity of just looking out the window to watch the world go by, the conversations that seem to only be able to happen in the car. And the tunes! You probably have some great memories of road trips, too.
This is exactly the point of the trip, not just to get to a destination, but to experience joy, discovery and aliveness along the way. Drivers ed and the car’s owner’s manual do more than teach us the mechanics of driving. Because they shape our driving habits, our understanding of both the car and its operation on the road, we can enjoy the trip, basking in the fruits of aliveness and discovery.
Joy and aliveness are the fruit of journeying the path God offers. The Psalmist says it will be “so pleasing to my taste buds–it’s sweeter than honey in my mouth!” (Ps 119: 103). Recently a friend reminded me that there’s no big scoreboard in the sky that tallies how good I am. This was truly a word from God that tasted sweet, relaxing my spirit into true Life, not striving.
Today, listen for a wise word from God that lands sweet like honey on your soul, or that sets a wave of aliveness through you like pop-rocks in your soul. Ahhh…. Amen.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* J. Clinton McCann, study note on Psalm 119 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 973 OT.
