“Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation.” Psalm 25:4-5
It’s rather easy to get lost, especially when I get lost in thought first, mind wandering and am not paying attention. Is the trail obvious up ahead? Do you see a white blaze? No. Okay, turn and look behind you; do you see a blaze for the northbounders? No? Right! I’ll keep going southbound for one more minute, see if I can find a blaze beyond those rocks and around the bend. No blaze, huh? Must be on a deer path. Time to retrace steps until I get back to where I veered off the trail. (Walk back for five minutes.) “Hey, Humming Turtle, up this way.” Hiking buddy’s voice coming from up a hill. Waiting for me. Now I discovered where I missed a double blaze warning of the turn. I zigged right when I should have zagged left. Thank God for hiking buddies and blazes. However, daily life off the trail is no different for me. I can get off course just as easily. I go off on tangents. I get pulled away from priorities. And so I need the blazes of hearing God’s word. I learn to pay attention with prayerful silence. I need a spiritual brother or sister to call my name every once in a while and say, “This way.” Word, prayer, body of Christ—teach, lead, make me know.
Suggestions:
1. Take this verse with you and ponder its meaning for you throughout the day. What do you notice? What do you wonder? When am I apt to get lost in life? What helps you discern God’s ways?
2. Or read all of Psalm 25 to discover how this verse fits into the psalm or to discover a different verse.
3. Or comment with a photo of your own that illustrates this verse’s meaning for you.
Tomorrow’s verse: Psalm 26:2-3
Starting January 1, 2016, for 150 days I am posting a daily psalm verse with a photo that is a visual meditation on the text for me. Each day a verse from the next psalm is chosen until all 150 psalms have been featured. To participate you may subscribe to my blog at https://elainedent.net or “friend” me on Facebook and watch for the daily links to blog posts. Disclaimer: I am not a photographer and most of the photos are from a cell phone or small camera while hiking the Appalachian Trail or the C&O Canal/Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
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