Your way

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me. ~ Psalm 5:8
It is not we who seek the Way, but the Way which seeks us. That is why you are faithful to it, even while you stand waiting, so long as you are prepared, and act the moment you are confronted by its demands. ~ Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings
Psalm 5 is full of lament and cries for God's justice and mercy for the Psalmist.  It's a familiar theme from other Psalms, and fits in easily with the theme from yesterday's reading from Micah (as well as the other reading today from Jeremiah) about evildoers who are deceitful and spread lies.

Verse 8 caught me like a lightning bolt, however.  Make your way straight in front of me, Lord. 

First, because of my enemies.

I get a visual of a crowded room of so many distractions that keep me from God that the pathway becomes invisible.

Because when it comes down to it, those are really who my "enemies" are.  I'm fortunate not to have an warrior nations fighting me for my land, but I sure have lots of enemies who distract me from God's way being straight before me.

 And second, because the way is YOUR way, God. Not my way.

 Your Path, not my path.

 We often tend to think of each of us having a unique path that God leads us along. 

 But for the Psalmist, and for most of scripture, there is only one path.

 God's path.

 And we stray from it time and time again.

 And so all we can to is ask and pray that the clarity of the path comes back into view so we can get on our way again - despite all those enemy distractions.


God, show me your path.  Guide me through all of its twists and turns and when I can't see it, give me light to show me the way.  Amen.
Thoughts for engagement:

- Do you feel like God has you on a certain path with no detours?
- Do you think God's path changes? Do you think your path changes?



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