...is Psalm 119:33-37:
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
God has been showing me about what being refined means and what it looks like, and I think He means to do so through His word. My prayer is that I not only read Scripture (as I have admittedly only been doing in my morning devotional times, because I'm just so tired at that hour!) but to actively engage with the Word, to be open enough to allow God to transform me through it, and to truly live the Word out loud, not just say that I believe it.
Philippians has always been (a) one of my favorite books of the Bible, and (b) a great encouragement to me, but lately it has been more of a challenge, particularly 2:5-11 and 2:14-16, especially in the context of serving my mom. I find that I lack the humility, while at the same time I find that God has been extending His grace to me. I am so challenged by the fact that Christ made himself nothing, and in being called to imitate Christ's humility, I know it is impossible for me on my own strength, and I find myself on my knees again and again with that.
The goal, achievable only with God's grace, for me is to do everything without complaining or arguing (which is unfortunately more difficult for me than I realized or like to admit), so that I may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which I will shine like stars in the universe as I hold out the word of life.
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