who's calling the shots?

Psalm 16:1 Keep me safe, O God,
for I have come to You for refuge.

2 I said to the LORD, "You are my Master!
Every good thing I have comes from You."
3 The godly people in the land
are my true heroes!
I take pleasure in them!
4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
or even speak the names of their gods.

5 LORD, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
What a wonderful inheritance!

7 I will bless the LORD who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the LORD is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.

9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
10 For You will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow Your holy one to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with You forever.

Here's what my Life Application Bible says about verses 7 & 8...

It is human nature to make our own plans & then ask God to bless them. Instead, we should seek God's will first. By constantly thinking about the Lord & His way of living, we will gain insights that will help us make right decisions & live the way God desires. Communicating w/ God allows Him to counsel us & give us wisdom.

For decades, as a music minister in the Methodist church, I did the "make our own plans & then ask God to bless them" thing.

In the last 10 years, particularly in the last 2-3, I've done the "what do You want me to do, God?" thing.

What's the difference?

I have to make the 1st one happen.

In the 2nd one, I wait (btw, patience is not one of my strong points). I wait until I have some sort of direction, & then I do something. If I don't have any direction, & stay where I am.

It involves a heck of a lot more trust in Him, but I don't have to make happen whatever He wants me to do. If I do something when He tells me to, then it's His idea, not mine. If it's His idea, then He's the One responsible for making it happen - I'm just serving Him.

Is that too subtle & glib? I hope not. It's a fundamental change for me. For decades I was the go-to-guy for things. I could make decisions, plan things out, & make it all happen - key word there is "make".

So, how did all that work out for me? Well, I do have early onset of arthritis & high blood pressure. My hair is falling out in the front. And I have wondered how different my life would have been if I'd learned this lesson 30 years ago.

There's less pressure doing things totally dependent on His leadership, because He's the One responsible for making it all happen. He's the One who's suppose to go ahead of me & prepare the way & then mop up behind me & take care of the consequences of my obedience (Ps 139:5 is pertinent to this thought).

Now this does mean I have to do what He wants to do - iow, I have to subordinate my hopes, dreams, & desires for His. Another way of putting that is this - I have to die, & live the life He dreamed for me, not the one I dreamed for me.

Would I trade the much deeper pleasure of God that I now feel as I let Him be totally in control, as opposed to His pleasure I felt before when I was calling the shots & asking Him to bless them?

Well, what do you think? ;-)