“I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.” Psalm 119:147 (NLT)
Fortunately, people don’t achieve their dreams lying in bed. We can of course, cry for help while we lie there, but help doesn’t usually arrive until we are up and moving. Most of us know that “the early bird gets the worm.” And some of us also know that divine help is the only thing that will enable us to do what must be done.
The person who wrote today’s passage is someone who recognizes the urgency of the need and places hope in God’s promises. This psalmist isn’t someone who uses God as a good-time buddy or a get-me-out-of-this-fix daddy. Here is someone who has tried God and has not been disappointed, someone who daily asks God to help in everyday life. This psalmist knew the value of asking God to “give us this day, our daily (needs).” In short, this is someone who trusts in God as a way of life.
Generally, people are searching for how-to-do-it information for their lives. But no single “how-to” is sufficient to cover all the lives in the real world. Each of us has our unique set of problems or challenges. Our lives are different and our responses to the challenges are unique to us. Everyday we face a never-ending queue of issues and situations. And they all require us to respond or act. What do we do?
I suggest that we follow the psalmist’s example. Our lives are journeys into trust. Each day is a new opportunity to discover how much we trust God. We can learn how God is hard at work on our behalf. We can see the extent of God’s miraculous power. We can understand how important we are to God. Don’t expect an overnight transformation in your life and circumstances. God wants to be a life-long participant in our lives. God wants to be our confidant day in and day out. He wants to guide us daily by his Spirit. If we want his promises, we must ask for his help and accept his guidance.
Dear Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. Grant to us our daily necessities. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. And enable us to be sensitive to your Spirit for guidance. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today by your hope in God’s words,