Daleth

²⁵ My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to thy word!

²⁶ When I recount my ways, thou didst answer me; teach me thy statutes!

²⁷ Make me understand the way of thy precepts, and I will meditate on thy wondrous works.

²⁸ My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to thy word!

²⁹ Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me thy law!

³⁰ I have chosen the way of faithfulness, I set thy ordinances before me.

³¹ I cleave to thy testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame!

³² I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou enlargest my understanding!

It Takes Time

One of the hardest aspects of our human existence is learning to wait.  We live in the present, having the experience of our past to guide us, but wanting our perceived future to be happening around the next corner.  Growing in the faith and knowledge of our Lord and Savior takes time.  It is a process of a daily study of the scriptures and then applying these truths to our daily experiences.  To make this growing process even harder is we have to unlearn a lot of our experiences from the past.  This is what Saul of Tarsus (Paul) had to do before the Lord could use him.

Galatians 1:15-18 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen:  immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:  Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him for fifteen days.

Saul was a Pharisee, considering zeal of the righteousness of the law, blameless.  But these things that were gain to him was counted as lost for Christ.  His new righteousness was found in Christ through faith.  I believe a lot of this revelation came to him in the time of his aloneness in Arabia where he had a time of self examination of all his past experience and his new experience that he had on the road to Damascus.  This alone time with the scriptures and looking at our life experiences will open the door for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us.  It does not happen overnight.  Waiting for the Lord to open our understanding into the happening issues of our life takes time.  This time might be a few days, or it could be years.

So, cherish the quiet time you can get from studying the Bible and reflect on these words day and night.  These times will help you get through the trouble times we will face.  And as Paul states in Philippians four let your mediations focus on whatsoever things are true, whatsoever, things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  And the peace of God shall be with you.  This peace is wonderful, for it has been the guiding force for most of my life.