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Protect Me from Me
Andrea Lende • August 26, 2020
Psalm 119:10
Protect Me from Me
You can listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Protect-Me-from-Me-ein8qf
Daily Word:
Psalm 119:10
“With my whole heart have I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; O let me not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully] from Your commandments.”
Ignorance can be terminal.
When our actions meet with ignorance, we can find ourselves in difficult, if not impossible, situations.
Our children are a perfect example of this.
I have watched over my children with vigilance because their lives were constantly in danger as littles.
They just didn’t know.
They didn’t know when the stove was hot.
They didn’t know when the step was too big for their little legs.
They didn’t know the stairs were tricky and could cause them harm if they fell.
They didn’t know the window wells were dangerous.
They didn’t know the difference between the shallow and deep end of the pool at first.
The list of ‘they didn’t know’ was endless.
Their ignorance could have led to their total demise.
So, I was extremely vigilant in watching over them.
The psalmist is so wise in asking that the Lord keep him from wandering or mis-stepping just because he was ignorant.
We need the Lord to protect us from our own ignorance just as I protected my own children.
We need God to watch over us continually.
I am desperate for His care especially in situations where I don’t even know that I need it.
I have learned a lot about the Lord and much about His commandments in my fifty plus years on this planet.
However, my prayer is still that He keeps me from wandering away from Him either in ignorance or in disobedience.
Today I choose to believe that the Lord will protect me from my own ignorance and my willful determination as I seek Him.
May you find that the Lord will protect you from ignorance and disobedience as He gently holds you in His arms.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for protecting me from myself. Thank You for Your Word that ministers to me every time I read it. Thank You for the promises of Your Word. Thank You for over-riding me and my ideas about how things should be when I am acting out of ignorance. You gently compass me about and lead me to You and Your ways. I pray You continue to show me more of Your ways. Help me learn of You, Father. Help me find You as I seek You. Keep me from acting out of my own ignorance. Teach me, Lord. Fill me with Your Wisdom so that I act as You want me to, and You can fully use me. Help me follow You in every way. Break off the things in me that are not right in Your sight and grow the good in me. You, only, are perfect, Lord. Your ways are perfect. Your will is perfect. Bend my will to Yours so that I may be used by You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM watching over you and teaching you, My child, so that you grow in all My ways.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.