MY PERSONAL SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR
I will run the path of your commands because you have already widened my heart. Psalm 119:32
I was once turned off by the words ‘command’ and ‘commandments’. Like everyone, my life had saving thorns. I perceived God as a general who did nothing but bark orders. His leadership was impersonal and He held the bar very high with no consideration for my strength or aptitude.
Oh, but finally I experienced joy after being led to the truth ~ a truth that was exhilarating. If Hebrew had been a required subject in the Baptist Church where I attended as a child, I would have fallen in love with a Spiritual Director rather than a military archetype.
'Command’, in Hebrew, means ‘to direct and point the way.’ So, now contemplate the gorgeous expression of discipleship in today’s scripture. Oh Spiritual Director, I will run the paths You have pointed out to me because you have widened my heart to love Your ways. It says it all, doesn’t it?
Ever had a spiritual director? A mentor? Perhaps you were in a haze and although you knew the scriptures, you were unclear as to how to apply them. God’s Word was clumsy in your hands because of the complicated circumstances.
You needed someone trustworthy to find, and then interpret, God’s directives in the midst of the fog. How lifesaving were the words of your counselor! Their counsel made God's path clear.
The Spirit of God is also a mentor. He gives very specific instructions if I listen carefully. He interprets directions (commands) very uniquely, according to my present dilemma, and then graces me with the desire to follow them.
Though there are myriads of commandments, He feels no confusion about which ones apply to my situation at any given time. He places a road sign on my pathway that says, “Take this way next, my child.”
Commandments are beacons in the night. Through them, crooked roads are made straight and a steep path becomes level and smooth.
Commands are directions for every critical juncture of life. What kind of divinity cares this much? A guide, not a drill sergeant. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 31:21
You have changde my initial negative reaction every time I saw the word ‘command’. You have widened my heart to see Your goodness in all Your words. Thank you for joy! In Jesus' name, Amen
Copyright Christine Inc.
Originally published Monday, 14 October 2019.
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