Friday, October 28

a Psalm for Oct. 27th

Grand Canyon National Park • October 16, 2011
On October 27th, 2005, I turned my navy blue leather bound Bible open to Psalm 16, scribbled the day and year in the margin, and read the following passage...

1 Keep me safe, my God,
   for in you I take refuge.
 2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
   apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
   “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
   I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
   or take up their names on my lips.
 5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
   you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
   even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
   With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
   my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
   nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Fast forward exactly one year later, and I'm in Klaipeda, Lithuania, studying abroad as a junior in college. We were to leave for a ten-day trip to Russia early that next morning, and I was scared out of my mind. To this day, I have no clue why. I was already in Lithuania—wasn't that enough cause for fear and travel trepidation? 
I flopped my Bible open around 11pm and shivered as my eyes raced over the date in the margin while my mind registered the date on the calendar: October 27, 2006
How freaking cool.

So now it's tradition. October 27th...time to be reminded that the Lord is my portion. He's got me covered. I'm perfectly placed right where I need to be. 
I may feel purposeless at times (and by "at times"...I mean often...like right now). 
I may have insecurity and discontentment coursing through my body more regularly than joy and gratitude. 
But my heavenly Father has already guaranteed that I have a delightful inheritance. 
He's declaring over me with love—so much love!—"I've got this."

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
   my body also will rest secure.

 Can I get an AMEN?

8 comments:

ika said...

Amen.

Amanda Marshall said...

AMEN!

this is my most favorite post you've ever done.

Jess Roy said...

Amen girl!

adamken47 said...

Amen, sister! What a great psalm (as if there are any that aren't great - pshhh).

lauren jean allece said...

A resounding AMEN.

jackie said...

uh duh, amen. i love things like that where god just reminds you over and over how great he is.

cjacks said...

Wonderful story.

Annie said...

Mads, still think of you EVERY time I read this psalm. I remember you sharing about it at high school breakfast when we were still holding them at Goleta Covenant.
Love you much!

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