Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Priesthood: the ministry of God
Psalm 84

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. –Psalm 84:2

                 Many times in our lives there are high points of positive growth and change which we can consider our ‘spiritual highs’. As Christians, we tend to lean on positive moments such as these and proclaim God’s greatness giving Him praise through our worship because of positive things that happen in our life. This can be considered the good times in our lives by society standards because everything is going perfectly well. But as many of us know in our lives there are times that negative situations happen that may shake our faith or challenge our standing with God. There may be times when we have seen the darkest moments of our lives filled with questions and longing for hope. This too is a critical point in our Christian lives.
                      Psalm 84 is categorized as a Psalm of Disorientation which is a reflection of the difficult times in one’s life, yet at the same time, the acknowledgment of God’s presence in times of difficulty. This Psalm is ‘real’ with life and the realities of hard times and difficulties that are faced in one’s life or ministry. It is not an act of unfaith or failure, but through the Psalm a trusting community considers this an act of bold faith or transformed faith to seek the Lord even when growing faint and even when hearts and flesh cry out for the living God. Anything that the heart feels, whether feelings of orientation or disorientation, is a conversation of the heart that should be shared with God. It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of one longing to dwell in the house of the Lord even if it is as a doorkeeper because one is desperate to be in His presence.
                 God’s ministry is for those that He has called His own and this same God understands that we are in a world that is full of difficulties that challenge our faith and brings us to our knees crying out to Him. In our ministries, it is important not only to acknowledge the oriented parts of our life, but to also acknowledge the disorientation portions of our life knowing that even those times in our lives and in the lives of others, God is at work.

Prayer: O Lord, we thank you for being a constant God in the good times in our lives and even in the difficult times in our life. Lord we pray that we always long for You even in times of loneliness, difficulties, or darkness in our lives. Help us to seek your face in all that we do and to be real with our feelings to You who understands our every feeling. Amen
Thought for the Day: It is in the times of difficulty that we are reminded of our weakness, but His amazing strength in us. It is in times of difficulty that we may stand alone in this world, but He stands beside us.

Betty Vattakunnel, Trinity MTC, Houston



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