spiritual journey

Teach me O Lord

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath begin to clear your mind.

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “Teach me”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “O Lord”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.

Psalm 119:33

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
    and I will observe it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
    and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments,
    for I delight in it.
Turn my heart to your decrees,
    and not to selfish gain.
Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
    give me life in your ways.
Confirm to your servant your promise,
    which is for those who fear you.
Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
    for your ordinances are good.
See, I have longed for your precepts;
    in your righteousness give me life.

Psalm 119:33-40

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the longest book in the bible. This psalm is an acrostic. Each stanza is dedicated to a letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and every line in the stanza begins with this letter. This stanza that we read today is dedicated to ה He. The psalm is dedicated to the law of God or the Torah. Every line has a references to the Torah in one way or another. In many ways it is a love poem to the Torah.

The portion of the psalm we read today is asking God to teach us God’s laws. The law of God is not just the “Ten Commandments”, but about how to live in harmony with God, humanity and nature. Asking God to teach us God’s statutes, commandments, and decrees is something that will help us throughout our lives. We never stop learning the ways of God.

Teach me O Lord can be a dangerous prayer as well. It can be like praying for patience. The end result of the prayer is not instantaneous understanding, but life experiences that help us better understand who God is and the best ways to act with God and one another. God’s law is based on God’s character, and learning more about who God is helps us to live out the law of God.

-please take a moment to think about one of these questions. You might want to write your answers down.-

  • What is God teaching you?
  • What is one experience you have learned from?
  • Are you open to learning more about who God is?
  • Psalm 119

Take some deep breaths.

  • Breath in: “Teach me”
  • Breath out: “O Lord”

God my teacher and guide, thank you for being with me throughout my life, and teaching me more about who you are. You are a good teacher and guide; I pray that you help me to continue to understand your ways better and better. Please help me to be a good learner of your laws and character. Amen.

Meditation on Romans 12

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath you can begin to calm your mind.

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “I surrender all“
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “All to Jesus I surrender“

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

Presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice can be hard. There are times we are not even sure what God is calling us to sacrifice. There are times in our lives that we make great sacrifices, and times where we do not feel we are sacrificing as much. Times that our sacrifice does not seem as great because we love what we are doing, while others might think we are making a great sacrifice.

During this time of COVID-19 I have struggled with the sacrifice of not being able to meet with friends and family as much, and the sacrifice of not being as active in the community as I would like to be. I see this as a sacrifice to God because we are isolating ourselves out of concern for the health of others and our personal health.

During this time, when not as much is going on around me, I have been able to take more time reading the Bible and some of the books that have been on my bookshelves for some time. There have also been more times of meditation, walks in the neighborhood and setting on the beach. While this time of isolation because of COVID-19 has been a sacrifice, I have been able to use the time to listen more closely to God.

  • What is God calling you to sacrifice?
  • What are you doing to maintain your physical, emotional, or spiritual health?
  • Does it seem like the sacrifice you are call to right now is too much for you?

-please take a moment to think about one of these questions. You might want to write your answers down.-

Take some deep breaths.

  • Breath in: “I surrender all”
  • Breath out: “All to Jesus I surrender”

God of life, you have called each of us to this moment in time, and have given us gifts that can be used. Help us to continue sacrificing our lives for you, and learning the lessons we need to know for the future. Amen