Today's Scripture:

Psalm 36:5-11 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,

Read: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
As often as I can, I walk a few miles in the mornings. I am blessed to have a nice park near my house, with a paved walking path that winds past a small lake and mature trees. Unfortunately, I am not blessed with mountain peaks or ocean vistas. But I love the wide sky above me (even when the sun threatens to melt that paved walking path). God has provided some of his beautiful birds to delight in, and I can imagine the mother birds sheltering the chicks beneath her wings and the sky which cannot contain all of God's glory. And so when I walk, I don't listen to music or podcasts, or check my fitness watch (mostly because I don't have a fitness watch). I just make a conscious effort to appreciate the wonders that the Creator has placed in front of me each morning. Somehow, that helps put things into perspective.

Reflect: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
To better get to the heart of Psalm 36:5-12, you should look at what 36:1-4 says as well. In these four verses, David laments that so many around him have lost the fear of God and as such, now follow the path of their hearts, full of deceits and lies (see Matthew 15:19 for Jesus' complete list!). And 2000 years after Jesus gave us that reminder, nothing much has changed. It's easy to scroll to our favorite doom-and-gloom news site and lament the pervasive evil in this world, just as David did. But beginning in verse 5, David does a remarkable thing--he turns his thoughts to God. He praises God and the limitlessness of God's love by comparing it to the highest heavens, the tallest mountains, the depth of the oceans--but even those comparisons fall short. Tim Keller refers to it as "the spaciousness of His love." David continues to praise God for His protection, comfort, and provision. All that is needed is to continue to trust and love God and His limitless love for us, sacrificial love that sent Jesus to the cross for us. And where are the self-absorbed, sinful, wicked ones who surrounded David? They lie fallen, not able to rise, and unable to prevail--and confident of that, we, like David, can continue to serve the Lord.

Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
How easy is it to be discouraged with personal situations, to fall into self pity? Or to feel anxious about today's terrible headline? I have to admit, I do it too often. But maybe when the world starts weighing me down, I can reflect on those morning walks and think about the fact that God has provided just a tiny inspiration to start my morning despite there being much much more of His love and mercy than I can comprehend. Then maybe I can relax a bit and rest safely under His wings.

About Doug Gleditsch:
I am blessed with three adult kids and a daughter-in-love, and more friends than any man deserves. Though woefully lacking in basic life skills, I am an asset when playing trivia games.
I've been a covenant partner since 1990 and on staff here at Grace since 1997.