May 01, 2020 Set The Lord Before You – Words of Grace – May 1, 2020
I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”
Psalm 16:8
We are always moving forward. There is always something before us.
I live by my calendar. I get a sense of security from knowing what’s next. That’s why one of the unsettling things about this current COVID-19 season is that my schedule has been altered and I sometimes don’t know what’s before me.
There is place other than the calendar that shapes how we go forward and gives us a sense of what “next” will be like. This is the place of the soul. Here, rather than marking events for the future, we set objects of trust.
Responsibilities, appointments, and plans that have been made direct the activities of the day. The focus of our mind and heart determines how we live.
King David was a busy man with the responsibility to run a nation, so he must have felt the drain on his time and energy. He had enemies, so he was often afraid. He was a man, so he had temptations. He was also a man of God, so he prayed. In his prayers, he set God before his eyes, trusting and relying upon him.
What do you see when you look ahead with the eyes of your heart? Your sins? This will surely weigh you down with guilt and shame, causing you to live in the bushes hiding from God and people. But, if you set Christ and his saving work on the cross before you, you will see how he has cleansed you from all unrighteousness and you will be free.
Do you see your fears, failures, and weaknesses? This will keep you from taking any risks and doing any act of faith for God’s glory and the good of others. Do you see only demands for your time? This will keep you in bed. But, if you set the Lord before you and see his sufficient and sustaining grace, you’ll find the strength to take the next step of obedience by faith.
Do you see darkness and dread that depresses your spirit? Set the Lord before you and follow him into the future of light and goodness, waiting for the glory to be revealed at the coming of Christ.
Do you see your own pleasures demanding attention and your sinful desires screaming to be fulfilled? Set the Lord before you and see the goodness of his kingdom and the joy of walking in his ways.
Do you see people you would like to avoid? Set the Lord before you and his love will awaken your love for others.
What is before you, in your mental view, today? Is it the Lord, or some lesser object of faith, hope, and love? Take the time to reset. Do it today, tomorrow, and every day. Set the Lord always before you, and you will not be shaken.
-Scott