pay attention / ♫Blessed Be Your Name♫

Monday, October 17, 2011 (7:28 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

I’m asking You to help me pay attention today! It’s relatively early and I’ve already made mistakes. Not ground breaking, earth shattering ones. But substantial enough to bring me to You, Lord, asking that I pay attention. To You!

Lord, I didn’t expect so many verses to choose from. I wasn’t prepared for the history and warnings these two words brought up.

(8:28 a.m.)

With over 40 entries to choose from, it’s Proverbs 22:17-19 where I finally stop. “Pay attention [♫pay, pay attention♫ - I hear it as a cheer! J] and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.”

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 (8:07 a.m.)

Ah, that I would truly listen and apply the sayings of the wise. Lord God, I confess to You my propensity to running amuck. I get so excited about all Your Word has to say and then I become distracted with the random details of everyday life.

Yesterday’s call to “pay attention” did keep me mindful. Today I ask that I would use Your word, Your Truth far more effectively.

The Living Bible tells the above verse thusly, “Listen to this wise advice; follow it closely, for it will do you good, and you can pass it on to others: Trust in the Lord.” How simple is that? Even I can’t complicate it!

While I woke up singing quite a different song, right now I will lead with the obvious ♫Trust in the Lord With all your heart And lean not on your own understanding In ALL your ways acknowledge Him And He will direct Your path♫ Blessed Lord, how I thank You for ever turning my thoughts back to You!

Thank You also for waking me up singing this morning ♫Blessed be Your name In the land that is plentiful Where the streams of abundance flow♫ Lord it is so much easier for me to bless Your name when positive things are happening around me.

Thank You that You don’t want us to stop there. No. You also teach us to boldly sing out our hearts in difficult times as well. ♫Blessed be Your name When I’m found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed be Your name Every blessing You pour, I’ll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord… Blessed be Your glorious name♫

Most blessed Lord, thank You. I don’t always remember to bless You first. I confess too often to falling back on fear and frustration. I whine a WHOLE lot more than I bless and thank. Bless You that You let me practice things until I get them better. You are patient and kind. You forgive. You wait.

The Life Recovery commentary for yesterday’s proverb (22:17-19) reminds us that, “it is wise to put our trust in God. He alone is the source of perfect love and truth. It is only by surrendering to Him that we can experience true love and discover how our life should be lived.” You know what You’re doing. I may rarely understand or agree with Your methods but I want so very much to get better at readily acquiescing [accept something reluctantly but without protest] to Your will.

Continue Your wonderful, mighty, glorious work in my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30) that I can not only sing out to You ♫Blessed be Your name When the sun’s shining down on me When the world’s all as it should be Blessed be Your name♫ but readily and wholeheartedly ♫Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there’s pain in the offering Blessed be Your name… You give and take away You give and take away My heart will choose to say Lord, Blessed by Your name♫

Lord God, how I thank You for such a privilege. Help me use it well. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(704 words ~ 8:40 a.m.)