From:
Date: September 5, 2019
Subject: It's September 5; Good Morning Union
3. “Search me O God and know my heart, test me and know my inner thoughts, and see if there is any offensive way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139: 23,24
Quiet time with God includes for me reflective time about my life that no one else knows about (not that I have any deep secrets of an undisclosed “dark” side of me)! But I’m still a human being, which means I’m a sinner, in need of a Savior. So my third text is my reflective text and one where I always give God extra quiet time to do the four things my verse for today asks for:
“Search my heart; know my inner thoughts; see if there is anything offensive in me.” And then I listen. I want to know what God is finding as He is looking at my heart and my inner thoughts. I want to know if He sees anything offensive in me. Sometimes it can be painful, but always I am brought back to His love, His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness, His power, and His willingness to make me every day into more of His ideal for me. It doesn’t always produce something profound, and I don’t always listen (or respond) perfectly, but I do know and believe that with this time of listening I am moving in the right direction, because that’s the last part of the verse which I also believe and know from experience that He will do—“Lead me in the way everlasting.”
It's not always an easy text if I really mean what I am saying when I recite it back to God, but it is a powerful tool in God’s hand that I allow Him to use in my life SO THAT I will every day become more like Him.
Have a great day listening and reflecting on His leading,
Pastor Rich
Quote for the day: “Life is like an echo; what you send out comes back.” Chinese proverb
PS UGather- 10:35am in the church. This is our weekly time of “Celebrating Community in Christ.” This week Matt Schulte, executive director for Youth for Christ Lincoln, will be sharing his vision of personal value that comes when we give ourselves to others in need.