Struggles of the Soul
“Praise the Lord!
O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good;
For God’s steadfast love endures forever.”
--An ancient Hebrew song
(Psalm 106: 1, selected verses)
An important question to consider:
How do I keep believing in the unifying, restoring power of God’s love when all I experience is fragmentation and separation?
If it is trustworthy to believe that God’s steadfast love endures forever, then it seems fair to examine how we respond to God’s steadfast love. What I frequently observe is that God’s steadfast love is trusted so long as nothing “hits the fan.” I can honestly say that I can remember times when I really questioned God’s steadfastness. I can remember times when I really felt victimized. There are difficult struggles in my soul and I am willing to admit it.
Over the years, I have developed a deepened confidence that God’s love is steadfast. Here is a simple, two-step axiom for life that proves helpful to me:
Step 1: Prepare yourself for whatever you may believe “the worst” to be.
Step 2: Pray to the Lord, seeking whatever you may believe “the best” to be.
For me, the struggles of my soul are reduced tremendously. Trusting in the steadfast love of God is becoming clearer. Every breath comes to me as a gift.
--Ben Keckler
01.31.11
Showing posts with label God's steadfast love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's steadfast love. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, November 16, 2009
Daily Devotion - Monday, November 16
Something to Ponder
“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.”
--An Ancient Hymn
A lot of stuff comes our way and we feel that the steadfast love of God is missing. Trusting in God’s steadfast love is not all that easy. It sounds like the writer (see above) is experiencing the difficulty of trust.
Have you ever been in a group that is working on trust exercises? One activity that facilitators sometimes use is called “Trust Fall”. Here is how it works: One person stands facing away from the rest of the group. The assignment is to fall backwards into the arms of another person or persons in the group. Many people have great difficulty with this exercise. In Mitch Albom’s book, Tuesdays with Morrie, he tells of a time when Morrie asked his class to attempt this exercise. Years later Mitch still remembered when one person was able to trust and fall backwards. The person was caught and kept safe. Morrie, Mitch’s professor, observed:
“You see, you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too—even when you’re in the dark. Even when you are falling.” (Page 61)
--Ben Keckler
11.16.09
“Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.”
--An Ancient Hymn
A lot of stuff comes our way and we feel that the steadfast love of God is missing. Trusting in God’s steadfast love is not all that easy. It sounds like the writer (see above) is experiencing the difficulty of trust.
Have you ever been in a group that is working on trust exercises? One activity that facilitators sometimes use is called “Trust Fall”. Here is how it works: One person stands facing away from the rest of the group. The assignment is to fall backwards into the arms of another person or persons in the group. Many people have great difficulty with this exercise. In Mitch Albom’s book, Tuesdays with Morrie, he tells of a time when Morrie asked his class to attempt this exercise. Years later Mitch still remembered when one person was able to trust and fall backwards. The person was caught and kept safe. Morrie, Mitch’s professor, observed:
“You see, you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too—even when you’re in the dark. Even when you are falling.” (Page 61)
--Ben Keckler
11.16.09
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
