“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
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;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies…
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.”
“For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.” Psalm 25:1-10,15; 26:3
Lifting his soul to the Lord, David determines to get his directions right. Certain truths warranted looking back, others things were meant to be left behind. To move forward, he sought God’s ways and depended on His guidance and teaching. As for time, he would wait as long as it took for new direction. Turning from downcast shame to lifted face, he would rest in the mercy towards sins of the past that effected full forgiveness, and the steadfast love that would lead him forward. God’s goodness of old would faithfully direct him to new as he watched.
How different would a day be if to God we lifted our souls? Before perusing media, before making plans, before setting out, if we lifted our attention, imagination, regrets, hopes, offerings, to Him? Determining to trust Him clarifies focus to recognize the enemies of our souls, and fearlessness to turn them away. Waiting on His lead offers time to reorder our mindset and priorities. To get directions straight, we need to seek and submit to His leadership.
In any situation, we can find ourselves tangled in a net of confusion and complication. Wants and needs and emotions vie for our attention. Memories haunt, the present presses, and the future lies uncertain. To deliberately lift our concentration above the fray to seek the Lord and recount His graces, faithfulness, and goodness secures our concerns in peace. It opens our ears to listen to His instruction. It fixes our gaze on the Lord and His steadfast love. It points our feet straight on His revealed path. It enables us, step by step, to walk in confident faith.
What pressures or conundrums currently cause unease? Where does the way forward seem muddled, the sky brass? Where has a chaotic schedule caused confusion about what should be our next right thing? Pausing to look up and wait on the Lord directs us to the right and joy-filled way. (Deuteronomy 28:23; 2 Chronicles 20:12)
Lord, lift my soul and keep me on Your straight good way, for Your sake.
As the rain and snow 