Suggested Readings: Psalm 39, Jeremiah 11:1-17, Romans 2:1-11
Father, I am exceedingly grateful for Your Grace towards me. In Your loving kindness and Your patience, You have laid out plans for my life to be fruitful and to prosper in spirit and in health. I will not make light of this gift, Abba. In the days ahead, I will set a watchman upon my mouth gate, and I will not relent until it sends forth Your praises. I will not relent until it speaks of life and sows seed of faith in all who hear, in awe of who You are and in joy for who You have made me to be. Amen.
As a child, I imagined my life as a book written by God. The pages were made from the finest papyrus and cotton blend, it had a cream-colored hardcover with a gold border, and a red silk ribbon hand-sewn into the binder for marking pages.The pages themselves, seemingly empty but secretly filled with His words, written in invisible ink. I imagined that those words were revealed one by one as each breath of life escaped my lips, at every second and every moment. However, what if our book, intended to be filled with God’s Word, was instead a reflection of our words? What story do our words in private and in public tell?
My prayer is that the book of my life is a beautiful reflection of God’s Word and His plans for me. However, I know that in human nature and in the daily bustle of life, I will fall short of His glory. As a matter of fact, with the right amount of sleep deprivation, no time to stop for coffee, and a toddler crying because I wouldn’t let him close the door - I might lose grip of the right words or thoughts from time to time. I know God has given me the strength to praise Him through any storm, but at that moment in traffic, in that meeting, or that check-out line… Lord, help my unbelief!
When we feel our weakest, that is a beautiful opportunity to invite God in and worship Him. We can pause, acknowledge His presence, thank Him for being with us in that moment and recall a scripture, a prayer, or a blessing. We can even work towards peace by apologizing sincerely for our transgressions and starting over. However, in high-stress situations, we may not be able to find the words. Try visualizing the cross and lay all our emotions there, take a deep breath, and then speak. No matter the situation, I welcome you to think of the goodness of God. Remember who you are, and Whose you are. Despite your anger, weakness, or fear, you are still a child of God, precious to the King and fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. Search your heart and find the words that lead you back to Him.
Another way to stay focused on what we say to others is to remember grace. Grace is a powerful tool needed to forgive those who offend us. We depend on it when we are the offenders, and we need it desperately to forgive ourselves. As I read today’s scripture, I am reminded of my own humanity. When the day brings more than we can bear, we may sound like David’s cry to the Lord, “I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.” (Psalm 39:10) Yet, God has made a covenant with us, and He has revealed His promise to His people, who obey His words and keep His covenant. (Jeremiah 11:3-5) To receive His promises and experience the fullness of the life He has planned, let us look internally and do the inner work to reflect His Word in our story. May His eternal mercy follow you all your days, and the Word of God be a light unto your path.
Jakima Smith
