You know when you're struggling, and God just wakes you up and really makes you think about your life and the decisions you're making, and the thoughts you have? Like a loving parent he chastises us with his word in order to make us understand that there is a better way than the way we are choosing. He showed me that today.
Every day I get a short verse sent to my e-mail. And every day I check my e-mail and see what little piece of scripture has been left in my inbox. This was today's verse:“As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!” Psalm 119:7 NLT. It's a great verse, but I read it quickly and moved on to my other e-mails. I guess God wasn't satisfied by that short read, and he knew it didn't make it to my heart. About an hour later I was looking something up on biblegateway.com; I like to look up verses in the message version, just to get a different (albeit paraphrased) version of God's word. I like to think of it as a friend discussing God's word with me in their own words.
Anyway, I saw that same verse Psalm 119.:7 in the message version, and all I can say is it definitely made it's way to my heart. Here it is:
“You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right—you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me.” Psalm 119:7 MSG
I heard some really upsetting news yesterday, I was angry and confused. I knew I was letting my anger control me and I let myself get bitter for a while. At that point I was definitely refusing to think about God's regulations, and I really contemplated walking a different road than the one he's set for me. But today, praise God, he reminded me of who I am and how important I am to him. Along with Psalm 119:7, he led me to another verse, 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
I realized that I need to live my life worthy of my calling. I am an heir to a royal bloodline, and I have been made righteous. I need to live in the light of the grace God has given me, and not in the bondage of darkness that he freed me from. I now have a responsibility to uphold my Queenliness (yes I made that word up).
I like to compare this to Kate Middleton's life. The girl was in every way born to a normal family, she was "a commoner". But now this girl is ROYALTY.And because of that she has to live her life differently. She has to think about her actions and act in a way worthy of her title. In becoming a part of the royal family, she accepted the responsibilities that come with that.
In the same way (minus the stuffiness plus eternal life) we are now royalty in Christ Jesus. Therefore, we have to accept the responsibilities that come with this privilege. For me that means letting God be God, and surrendering my feelings to him. That means taking seriously what his death means for how I live my life. It means I need to walk the path he's designed for my life even when the road seems steep and treacherous.
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