O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. Psalm 83:1. 

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…1 John 4:18. 

I was reading from my new devotional, You Are The Beloved – Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living, by Henri Nouwen; and on this day (Feb. 2), Nouwen wrote and expanded, The perfect love that drives out all fear is the divine love in which we are invited to participate. I definitely experienced that in prayer with God this morning. He reminded me we walk this path together. Listening to the prayers and needs this morning in our early morning prayer group, I realized again how different each path is. Our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit – is deeply personal. He walks with us through every storm and every joy that is our life. He is there when life as we know it takes a sudden, very abrupt turn and we are on new ground. We aren’t alone. He is here. Always. 

Reading our chapter, Psalm 17, I couldn’t help but think about the paths David and I walk. I love David and his courage and honesty written for all the world to see and relate to. But when he writes…May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies; may their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones…v. 14…I can’t go there. In this world of ours today is the kind of hate that longs for death and destruction for “others” without any empathy for their suffering. This hate of our world today is what is destroying us. So I cling to those verses of David’s where God’s love is so evident in him…My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled…I call on you, my God, for…you…will answer me…Show me the wonders of your great love…you…who save by your right hand…Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings…As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness…v. 5, 6, 7, 8, 15.

How do I put all of this together? God’s love. His love reaches into our hearts and minds and how can we not respond? When we think about what is truly necessary in this life we live, can we not begin to see how much we need God? How much we need His presence comforting us when we are stepping forward onto a path that looks so different from the path we were on and yet the path so needed because there is no going back. Close your eyes. Ask Him to help you. He never once left your side. He loves you too much. His divine love will never leave you and it is so good. When we realize how very close our God is to us, our thinking shifts. God is not far away. He is walking with us. And when we participate with Him we find our purpose and why we are here living this life we live. Thank You Lord, for Your strength and comfort as we walk with You.