Do you ask for directions?

Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me! (Psalm 119:17-19)

Have you ever heard the saying, "You have not because you ask not"? In reality, many of us spend very little time asking God to open his word to us. We go right to it, open it up, then start reading. When nothing seems to 'pop off the pages' at us, we get a little concerned. We ought to! We neglected to ask God to open the truths hidden deep within those words. Sometimes they are quite obvious, but at others, we need help understanding how they apply to our lives right now.

When the psalmist (King David) said he was a 'foreigner in the land', he wasn't applying that term to a real strip of land. He was saying he was a foreigner when it came to understanding God's word. There are lots of times we probably feel like 'foreigners' in God's presence, but nothing could be further from the truth. What does someone who doesn't know the lay of the land need to do? They need to ask for directions! If we want to make the most out of our 'quiet time' with God, we need to ask him to help us get the most of it!

Richard Evans reminded us: "The undertaking of a new action brings new strength." If your times with Jesus have been less than stellar, leaving you feeling a little 'depressed' because you didn't seem to get much out of them, then maybe it is time to 'undertake a new action'. It is time to ask for his help - for his direction! If we want all the strength that comes from spending time with Jesus - in his word, mulling it over and over until it sinks in, and then taking it along with us throughout the day, we will want to begin by asking for him to assist us. Just sayin!