Waiting for the Lord ...

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1

When I read all of the fortieth psalm I sensed a writer who had experienced God in all parts of life, good and bad, full and empty, joyous and depressing. Here are some examples of the psalmist God-experience.

• God has 'set his/her feet upon a rock, making steps secure',
• There are advantages of trusting God when times are tough and when times are grand,
• The realization that the deepest sacrifices to God are not large gifts of things but the gift of a life lived to love God, neighbor, enemy and self ... self always last so that one may love one's self.

As the writer records, "I delight to do your will, O my God, your law is within my heart" (v. 8). There are times when doing the will of God to love are tough. But much more often loving can be an easy choice.

So LORD God, thanks for those easy choices to love. Such encourages me to make the tougher loving choices.

May God give you the grace, or mercy, to make the tougher loving choices as well.