Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21.

In the early hours of the morning I was awakened by 80 mph winds and rain and then hail. It went on for what seemed a long time. The power in those winds was astonishing and not to be taken lightly as so many recently have lived as their homes and lives have been blown apart by tornadoes. And it seems to me that our world is like that today…being blown apart by every wind of destruction from lack of understanding. So I’m going to share two excerpts from 2 devotionals I read this morning, that point to a better way with our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, before sharing our psalm for today, which also spoke so eloquently about our God and understanding with Him.

From Hearing God by Dallas Willard: “The still, small voice – or the interior or inner voice, as it is also called – is the preferred and most valuable form of individualized communication for God’s purposes. God usually addresses individually those who walk with him in a mature, personal relationship using this inner voice, proclaiming and showing forth the reality of the kingdom of God as they go.”

From You Are the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen: “Solitude and silence can never be separated from the call to unceasing prayer. If solitude were primarily an escape from a busy joy, and silence primarily an escape from a noisy milieu, they could easily become very self-centered forms of asceticism. But solitude and silence are for prayer. The Desert Fathers did not think of solitude as being alone, but as being alone with God. They did not think of silence as not speaking but as listening to God. Solitude and silence are the context within which prayer is practiced.”

Why share those? Because the Kingdom of God is now in our life shared with God. Being alone with God, listening to God as He speaks to us is the greatest privilege we can know. He is patient and gentle. And suddenly you realize that something happened and it happened before you realized it fully. You are learning and experiencing God’s truth and it is wonderful!

And our psalm, Psalm 111, shows us how and why. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. v. 1-5. Can you imagine any person being described in this way? He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever – holy and awesome is his name. v. 6-9. Can you imagine that in this world of ours? Is it any wonder our world is being blown apart because we lack all that is of our God because of our choices? How then can we comprehend fully what is good? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. v. 10.

The beginning. It matters not what came before. Take His hand and walk with Him and begin to learn and grow and understand. I don’t know about you, but I am weary of the irrationality of our mindset apart from our Creator God. I long for His peace and understanding that brings joy and hope and goodness for everyone with Him. I heard the ferocious power in the winds this morning. I could do nothing to stop them. I can’t stop the winds of destruction blowing through our world today. But I can go to our God for understanding and hope for what is better. He is showing me what is good and it is with Him.