Day By Day #32

Day by Day #32

MORNING/MIDDAY PRAYER

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

Scripture Reading: Psalm 56:1–4, 8

            Be merciful to me, my God,

               for my enemies are in hot pursuit;

               all day long they press their attack.

            My adversaries pursue me all day long;

               in their pride many are attacking me.

            When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

               In God, whose word I praise—

            in God I trust and am not afraid.

               What can mere mortals do to me? . . .

            Record my misery;

               list my tears on your scroll—

               are they not in your record?

Devotional

Conflicts are stressful and painful. At worst, they can even be violent and destructive. Yet they also have the potential to lead us into intense and powerful spiritual encounters. They are more than a disruption in our otherwise peaceful life. Why? Because they lead us into uncertainty, a loss of control, and a deep sense of disorientation. And that can be good!

The pages of Scripture describe David as a man after God’s own heart. What few realize, however, is how closely this characteristic is connected to the way he handled loss, disappointments, and conflicts, even when his very life was threatened. David often spoke and sang about his hardships and difficult relationships. For him, they were vehicles of God’s revelation.

We observe this in the book of Psalms—which includes many prayers and hymns written by David—and remains one of the most beloved books of the Bible. More than half of the 150 psalms are laments that give voice to the hard, difficult aspects of life. Scholar Walter Brueggemann has rightly noted that pain and suffering is the center of the three-part pattern we see in Psalms:

        •     Orientation, in which life makes sense and we enjoy God.

        •     Disorientation, in which we are hurt, suffering, and wondering where God is.

        •     New orientation, in which God breaks in and we meet him in a new way.^a

God assures us of his love and passion for us. He is committed to bringing each of us into a new orientation—a new place with him—so that he can do a new thing in us and for us. But in order to get there, we have to be willing to go through disorientation.

Question to Ponder

When was the last time God led you into a season of disorientation that ultimately resulted in a new orientation with fresh insights and growth?

Prayer

Lord, I am much more likely to try to avoid pain and conflict than walk into it. Grant me the grace and trust I need to wait on you, especially through hard times, sorrows, and relational stress. Help me to stay with you through my disorientation so that I might receive the new things you want to do in and through me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

MIDDAY/EVENING PRAYER

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

Scripture Reading: John 21:18–19

“Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Devotional

Jesus had a different vision of spiritual maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go. It is recognizing that it is foolish to try to remain in control of life. Instead, he offers to Peter, and to us, the truth that following him sometimes requires being led to unknown and difficult places, some of which involve conflicts with others. Author David Benner says it well:

The way of ascent is the way of control, willfulness, grasping, and clutching. The way of descent is the way of surrender, willingness, and letting go. Nothing that we fail to give away will ever really be ours. Only that which has died can be raised from the dead. Christian spirituality is a path of descent, not ascent. . . .

Rather than being a spirituality of self-improvement . . . it is a spirituality of following Jesus on a journey of dying to our false self so that we might discover our true and larger identity in Christ. . . .

Life brings us a steady flow of opportunities to practice choosing surrender. Events that we would never choose enter our life quite regularly—sometimes as small interruptions to our plans for the day, and other times as crises that change our life forever. Regardless of their magnitude, these events serve as reminders that, despite our efforts and desires, we are not in control.^b

The great news, however, is that as we discover Jesus’ downward way of surrender and letting go, we also discover the richness and beauty in life that God intends.

Question to Consider

In the last few days, what “small interruptions” have come into your life that offer an the opportunity to practice choosing surrender?

Prayer

Abba, Father, you are good, and your love endures forever. I open my hands in surrender to you. Expose any unhealthy attachments in me and help me to trust you in all things. Help me to let go of the illusion that I need control, approval, or earthly security for my happiness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

^a Walter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984), 9–11, 19.

^b David G. Benner, Soulful Spirituality: Becoming Fully Alive and Deeply Human (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2011), 166–67.