The inner journey to the place of rest. -Nouwen

LORD, hear my prayer, and in your faithfulness heed my supplications; answer me in Your righteousness. My spirit faints within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember the time past; I muse upon all Your deeds; I consider the works of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; my soul gasps to You like a thirsty land. O LORD, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; do not hide Your face from me or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. Let me hear of Your loving-kindness in the morning, for I put my trust in You; show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalm 143

I read today that John Calvin wrote 159 sermons on Job. And every one of them ended with this, “Now we present ourselves before the face of God and bow in humble reverence.”

And sometimes I don’t have anything to say to my God. No words.

So it’s a great time to take another swing through the desert, along Arrollo Chico and listen.

May I hear of Your loving-kindness in the morning, for I lift up my soul unto Thee. 

Taking another swing through the creosote and prickly pear, with a song in my heart

For the unscrupulous, grasping man is an abomination to the Lord, extremely disgusting and detestable; but His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the righteous, those who are upright and in right standing with Him. Proverbs 3:32

The whole point of Proverbs 3 is here: it is simply good, blessed living to walk in the wisdom of the God, and walking in my own counsel and the counsel of the world is foolish. On a totally practical, not-pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by.  

Because really, each of us longs for the inward peace, the confidential communion with God.

Even in the overwhelming onslaught of newsfeeds and suggested posts and tweets, it is possible to discern what is good and honorable and life giving. And on what side of the fence we want to land, with the scoffed and scorned, or with those receiving undeserved favor: the low in rank, the humble and even the afflicted. The wise shall inherit glory and all honor and good, but shame is the highest rank conferred on self-confident fools.

And worldly wisdom stands on the street corners with flattering words to distract me from my path. But it is possible to not be beguiled by bright colors and preset tones.  Wisdom too is in the streets, raising her voice in the marketplace, She cries at the head of the noisy intersections in the chief gathering places; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: How long, O simple ones, open to evil, will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and self-confident fools hate knowledge? If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I, Wisdom, will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you.

And Webster’s defines communion as “the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” And this is what I am promised, if I turn and give heed. And He promises counsel in the secret of my heart, even if the decisions are hefty and unclear. He is my confidence, firm and strong. And Wisdom’s spirit will be poured out upon me, and she will make her words known to me.

Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning,
for in Thee do I trust.
Cause me to know they way wherein I shall walk
for I lift up my soul to Thee.

Lead me onto the paths everlasting,

Teach me to do Your will.

Quicken me Oh LORD.

For I lift up my soul unto Thee

Amen