Daily devotion

Bridge Over Troubled Water

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And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ Acts 22:10 ESV

One of my favorite songs from the 1960’s is the Simon and Garfunkel tune, “Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water.” It reminds me of an incident in 1983 when a section of the highway bridge over the Mianus River in Connecticut collapsed at midnight. The first car coming upon the scene was able to stop in time and the driver jumped out and frantically tried to wave down the other vehicles. Tragically in the dark and confusion of the moment, four vehicles ignored his warnings and tumbled off into the river.

In life, there are times when, like Paul, we are sure that we are going the right way, but instead we are way off track. The good news is that God sets up a roadblock, because He has something better in mind. So, instead of becoming angry, consider that what you are facing just might be God’s warning that there is danger up ahead. In that moment, remember, that God cannot show us the right road as long as we keep driving in the wrong direction. But when, like Paul, we cry out in astonishment, “What shall I do, Lord?” God is delighted to show us what He has in mind and through the cross of Jesus Christ He becomes our “Bridge Over Troubled Water”!

Selah

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God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Psalm 46:1-3 ESV

I have always loved the word, Selah. It is like the rest in a page of music. It is the pause in which we absorb and appreciate the notes already played, take a breath and then prepare for what comes next. In a busy life, I need more Selah, and most of all, I need to meet with Jesus there. Only He can help me understand what has already happened when things seem out of control and only He can give me hope to face the future. He has promised to always be there in both difficulty and blessings, to never forsake me, when everyone else walks away, and to love us forgive us and keep us in His arms forever. Selah!

Rhyme and Reason

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When I was a little boy, my mother would often put her hands on her hips, sigh and say, “I just can’t make rhyme or reason out of this.” “This,” could mean, either her knitting project gone awry, my latest escapade of falling in the pond while catching frogs or the sorry state of my room. I remembered Mom’s saying recently when I stumbled upon this quote from Spurgeon.

“Articulate speech, which is denied to birds and beasts, is given to us for this major reason – that we may articulately and distinctly, praise and magnify the name of the Most High,” Charles Spurgeon

Now, Spurgeon was talking about our spoken words, but his thoughts also apply to our writing. If you write regularly, you probably could list a multitude of things that begin your inner avalanche of thoughts which landslide into a composition. I was challenged by Spurgeon’s thoughts about both the goal and form of our words. As writers, we often read tips on the “how’s” of writing. How to write dialogue, how to choose better adjectives, how to hook the reader at the beginning, and on and on. If we aren’t careful, we will soon become like a guide, who has learned how to survive in the wilderness, but has no idea of where he is going. The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, and I find it interesting how its writer pulls back the curtain on his motives for writing using the phrase, “I delight.” more than any other. Here are just four of them:

“I delight myself in your statutes…” Verse 16

“Your testimonies are my delight…” Verse 24

“And I will delight myself in Your commandments…” Verse 47

“…for Your law is my delight.” Verse 77

Just as Spurgeon challenged us to use words to magnify and praise God, the Psalmist shows us that he begins by delighting in the words that God has to say. Just as it was for the Psalmist, God’s statutes, testimonies, commandments, and law wait for us every day in the pages of the Bible. Unless I begin my day delighting in God’s words, then my own may be witty, or insightful, but they will only leave people dying of thirst in the wilderness. But when I have found my reason to write burst forth from delighting in God, then God delights in showing me the rhyme and reason of words that will lead others on the pathway to Him!

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