Verse of the Day 5/17

 

Verse of the Day 5/17

 

Psalm 119:44-45    I will keep your law continually,
    forever and ever,
⁴⁵ and I shall walk in a wide place,
    for I have sought your precepts.   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

I  played golf for the first time this year, one evening last week after work.  It was a beautiful evening with hardly anyone else on the course.  I basically had the course to myself.  The course had many wide fairways which allow you to swing away with confidence, but stil offered plenty of challenges.  I've  played other courses that are full of narrow fairways where every drive will be a challenge, where if you don't hit the ball straight you will end up in some  kind  of  hazard.

 

As I read today's verses that picture came to mind, approaching the tee, approaching life looking out to a wide fairway.  You can see where you want to go and can have confidence that you'll be able to keep the ball in play if you hold  true to your swing and have confidence in what you've learned along the way.  

 

Whether playing golf or living life, the keeping the law and the walking in the wide place go hand in hand.  Putting into  practice what you've  learned in that wide place and succeeding can give you confidence in hitting the ball or approaching life  in the narrow fairways and places in life.

 

I like the way Eugene  Peterson paraphrases the verses in The Message,

"Oh, I'll guard with my life what you've revealed to me,
    guard it now, guard it ever;
And I'll stride freely through wide open spaces
    as I look for your truth and your wisdom;

 

May we take hold  of  and  keep His law, His word continually before us and be able to stride freely through those "wide open spaces" that are before us in life, looking for truth and wisdom in the only place that you can truly find it, in His Word.  It will prevent us from ending up in the weeds.

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Psalm 119:44-48The Message (MSG)

^41-48 Let your love, God, shape my life
    with salvation, exactly as you promised;
Then I'll be able to stand up to mockery
    because I trusted your Word.
Don't ever deprive me of truth, not ever—
    your commandments are what I depend on.
Oh, I'll guard with my life what you've revealed to me,
    guard it now, guard it ever;
And I'll stride freely through wide open spaces
    as I look for your truth and your wisdom;
Then I'll tell the world what I find,
    speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed.
I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!—
    relishing every fragment of your counsel.

 

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