*written on Monday morning*

This morning, I find myself praying a lot in preparation for this week. It will be pretty busy, as I work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening at networking events. Which means I don’t just need to show up but I have to meet as many people as I can while really getting to know them and how a business relationship might be possible. While I am a people person, I find myself dreading this week a little bit only because I feel a lot of pressure when I go to these things. I get anxious about what to talk about, who I might meet, if I’ll say the wrong thing, or if I’ll miss something entirely.

But I was reading my bible over breakfast and opened to Psalm 51. Our pastor recently challenged us to meditate on this passage for a couple weeks. His message that day really moved me so I have been wanting to read it and hadn’t had the chance yet.

Psalm 51 is simply about our brokenness and God’s mercy in putting us back together. And it really is a great thing to read when the expectations of the world are breaking you down. Sometimes we put expectations on ourselves that God never intended us to have.

It recognizes several simple truths we might do good to live by on a regular basis.

1. We are not perfect…not even close to good, ha. Not the kind of goodness God exudes, anyways. We are more prone to being selfish than we are to being giving. (Disclaimer here, however: God helps us to be good so it’s completely possible, of course). We often have good intentions but don’t always make the mark. But we are not expected to.

2. God IS perfect and completely loving and merciful, never giving us what we do deserve and always giving us more than we deserve. We live in a broken world of people prone to selfishness,  which can make things difficult and complicated and ugly, but thanks to Him, we can have love and hope.

3. God desires us to have the truth inside and to be people of wisdom. So why not ask Him for the best possible way to live?

4. “The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit; a broken and contrite heart.” He doesn’t ask more of us than we can give, and too often He simply wants our attention….not our fancy prayers, our theological knowledge, even all of our good works. Simple prayers is all He asks…that’s what He will use to change us anyways. “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him.” Proverbs 15:8 OR “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice….” 1 Samuel 15:22

 

 

“Little is much, when God’s in it. No one can fathom the plans He holds. He changes the world with the seeds we sow…” –Downhere