Week 1, Day 3
Start with 2 minutes of silence
Opening Prayer
Dear Father above - As I walk in your forest - your garden - may you walk with me. Hold my gaze on you - on your path, on your ways, on your truth. Let my gaze not wander to the grazing shame in the clearing to the right or to the startled rebellion of my youth off to the left. Help me focus on the chirping of the birds you put in the sky, the soft squeak of the chipmunks you placed on the ground, and the loving voice of the father who is always there. Amen.
Scripture : Psalm 25: 1 - 10
In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause. Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love, remember me, for you, Lord, are good. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
Devotional : Not Lost
By Anna Ueti
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” not all who seek solitude or peace within God’s wilderness are lost. To be lost is to be unable to find your way - to walk with God is to always have a guide, someone who knows where to go. Thus if you walk with God, you’ll never be lost. I have never been very fond of going out in nature - the bugs, the heat and cold, the prickles of twigs and trees - yet when I’m feeling overwhelmed or lost in my thoughts, unable to see God around me, I always find myself looking outside for solace. I look to nature to help me see where God is and help me be present with him - ignoring the noise mentally and physically. God created a path for us to walk together, He wants us to focus on him, and our way but also not neglect to remember that he made the trees we pass, the birds we hear, and the animals we see. God has created a world within a world where we can recede and realign our spirits with him - in his loving and forgiving embrace.
Question
Where is your world of wilderness - a cup of coffee, a morning run, a quiet drive to work?
Prayer
Lord, as we walk together along the path you hand made for us, tailored to each child you made, let us focus on you and your ways. Let us trust in you to guide us down the path you have chosen and let your lessons and instruction not fall on deaf but eager ears - yearning for more from a loving Father. You are good, and you are just - as the world of your making shows - let us be faithful in the coming seasons. Amen.
Close with 2 minutes of silence