Corona Devo 406

...in this dry and weary land where there is no water. ~Psalm 63:1

I imagine each generation reviews their childhood as carefree and beautiful, and as we age, we lament about how things/people/social mores are "changing".

Times change, yes, but have you sensed/witnessed/experienced a distinct change in people lately?

There is a shift in the temperament of us, and it stems from a shift away from our tetherment to God.

As Americans "liberate" themselves from the "restrictions" and "intolerance" of God's Word, we are each setting our own rules for conflict management, fairness and what-we-are-entitled-to, instead of adhering to God's Rules (The Bible). And the land is getting dry and weary.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my body longs for you, in this dry and weary land where there is no water. ~Psalm 63:1

There is a evil-fantasy that floats in the breeze of our minds, claiming that if we had no responsibility, no work, no obligatory relationships with anyone--we would be "free". The roots of this "dream" are pride and selfishness, and Jesus came to dispel this myth, and prove that the opposite is true: that in serving one-another, and when we are in community-with-one-another---We thrive. Yes, we have to compromise, Yes, we have to die-to-self. But YES!--By yielding-to-one-another and living-in-God's-parameters: we experience true love (not the superficial, materialistic, one-night-stand love of the world). In following God's ways, we actually experience connection, and we experience relational bonds that make life worth-living.

That is God's way.

The self-promoting, hate-seething, wheels-falling-off state of many of us today is not God's way.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you...in this dry and weary land where there is no water. ~Psalm 63:1

"The land" is getting dry and weary and there is no water.

A friend who was at the airport last week shared with me about an airline agent and a passenger (two women) slapping each other in the face at the Check-In area, then one of them threw a punch, and they wrestled each other to the ground.

I seek you...in this dry and weary land where there is no water. ~Psalm 63:1

At an area basketball tournament last week, a parent upset about the lack-of-playing-time that his kid got followed the coach to the parking lot and shot him.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you... ~Psalm 63:1

And during his soccer game this week, our 7-year-old neighbor was pushed to the ground by one of his own teammates, who stomped on his back with soccer cleats, leaving bruise-punctures and an imprint from the cleat. The child had no apparent reason to prompt this behavior, and while his parents watched the entire event, they made no apology or acknowledgement of the incident to our neighbor-boy or his parents.

Each of these occurred in only the past few days. We are definitely witnessing and experiencing a distinct change in people. Our land is dry and weary.

But just as sin can seep into us, Jesus can redeem and replace our misplaced affections, and when we turn to Him, He will refresh and rejuvenate our dry and weary land. He is the water, and His unfailing love is better than life (Psalm 63:3).

Psalm 63 starts out heavy, and we are in heavy times. But it rises with the Truth and Hope of how God changes our outlook, our hearts and our lives.

Read on and commit to a shift in our personal temperament toward God, and let us reinforce our tetherment to Him and His ways:

2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 4 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. 6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. 7 Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. ~Psalm 63:2-8

Times change, yes, but let's earnestly seek God at this time, and be the change. He provides everything we seek. There is nothing dry and weary about God's unfailing love.

Positive change breeds positive change. And Christ defined is "positive change". In me, in you, and in all people. I am ready for it, are you?

My soul is thirsty and my body is longing for the refreshment of Christ in today's dry and weary land.

We can choose patience during a cancelled flight.

We can choose humility when our kid doesn't play as much as another.

We can seek to raise children responsible for their actions and when they are not, we can choose to act responsibly.

Will we fail? Yes. But if we are tethered to God and His Word, we can embrace and experience His "liberation" from the anger and entitlement rising in today's society and we can shift our hearts into love and humility. There can be a new shift in public temperament.

Jesus is the water for our dry and weary land.

I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. (Psalm 63:8). Amen.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com