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Scripture
Psalms 16:1-11 (NIV) 1 Keep of me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." 3 As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. 5 Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Observation
Very rarely (if ever) do I select an entire chapter to focus in on during my journaling time. Today is one of those rare instances where I had no choice. This psalm of David is so powerful and appropriate to where I am in my life right now that I had to list it all!

It is so easy to view the world through our own lens instead of God's. Life is full of trials and difficulties, and when we focus in on them they can become overwhelming. This psalm helps provide some perspective. David begins by expressing the main thing that was on his mind... "keep me safe God... my only safe place is in you!" He acknowledges immediately that the only "safe" place in the world is to be right where God wants you. In fact, he goes on to say that if he is anywhere else, things go bad really quick. Those who try to find that safety and peace in other Gods will discover that they have chosen poorly. David then makes a statement of acceptance to God's will... that He has determined his circumstances. He acknowledges that wherever God has placed him is good. Staying in the center of God's will is a constant process that requires listening to His voice continuously... even in the night as we are entering sleep and first waking up our minds should be seeking out His voice and listening to what He has to say. Because we have that constant moment by moment walk with God, we should not let the cares and the circumstances we encounter get us down or shake our faith. We can rest peacefully in the joy of knowing God is in complete control and works all things together for our good. Even when death is the next turn in our path, we do not have to worry about being abandoned by God in that moment, for He will be with us every step of the way. What a life! God speaks to us and gives us the gift that brings us into a restored relationship with Him, He fills our lives with joy when we walk in Him each day, and then what He has in store for us in the next life is beyond our wildest imaginations!!

Application
This psalm really spoke to me this morning! It is exactly what I needed and what I'm feeling. When I look at our circumstances through human eyes, it's easy to get discouraged, dejected, and even paniced. Whether it's the changing family dynamics of taking our first child to college, financial stress, uncertainty over the future,.. when I focus on these things it can become overwhelming. How awesome is it that for times like these God gave us these psalms, so I will know that I am not the only one who has ever felt this way! Not only that, but this helps keep my mind and my heart focused in the right direction. My "safety" and security come from being exactly where God wants me, following Him every step, every day. Everything works for good when that's where I am... it is only when I start following my own path that things go south. What God has for me on the road ahead is HIS design, it is HIS plan, and whatever it is I can take joy and peace from it knowing that He has the very best plan for my life! As long as I stay focused on this perspective, the circumstances I face should not worry me. My response is to praise Him and worship Him with that confidence... focusing on Him and not on the situations that swirl around me. I praise Him for saving me, for giving me this amazing adventure of a life, and for what He has prepared for me when my time on this stage is done!

Even verse 3 and 4 are like a special note stuck in this psalm just for me... because it reminds me of the awesome experience I will have in a week traveling back to India to meet with and serve the pastors in Orissa. THEY are my heros, and it really will be a delight to be reunited with them. They do live in a land where everyone runs after other Gods... the many Gods of Hinduism. How appropriate to have this verse in today's reading!

All that stuff in my life that stresses me out just doesn't seem like such a big deal any more...!

Prayer
Thank you Father for putting something like this in your love letter to us, knowing that there would be times that I would need to hear these words to remind me it's never as bad as it seems, as long as I stay centered on you and follow your path! Help me to do that and to never stray. Remind me when I get too focused on the problems to look up and focus on You instead! You're the best Papa!!