Come

O Lord, I give my life to you.

I trust in you, my God!

Do not let me be disgraced...

No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced...

Show me the right path, O Lord;

point out the road for me to follow.

Lead me by your truth and teach me,

for you are the God who saves me.

All day long I put my hope in you...

He leads the humble in doing right,

teaching them his way...

Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.

May integrity and honesty protect me,

for I put my hope in you...

-Psalm 25:1-5, 9, 20-21

I love your sanctuary, Lord,

the place where your glorious presence dwells...

Now I stand on solid ground,

and I will publicly praise the Lord.

-Psalm 26:8, 12

The Lord is my light and my salvation -

so why should I be afraid?

The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,

so why should I tremble?...

The one thing I ask of the Lord -

the thing I seek most -

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life...

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me."

And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."...

the Lord will hold me close.

Teach me how to live, O Lord.

Lead me along the right path...

Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness

while I am here in the land of the living.

Wait patiently for the Lord.

Be brave and courageous.

Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

-Psalm 27:1, 4, 8, 10-11, 13-14

I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.

Do not turn a deaf ear to me...

as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary."

 -Psalm 28:1-2

I've been on that page in my Bible over and over again recently.  These words are David crying out to God for guidance, protection, and favor.  He wants to know what to do next; he wants to know how to proceed.  He knows God is there and that God has the answers, that God is in control, that God looks favorably on those who are humble before him.  He's seeking and praising the Lord in the same breath.  He's saying, "I don't know what to do here, but I know you do and I know you'll guide me. And even though I'm not getting an answer yet, I am trusting you.  I am praising you.  I am waiting on you because you are the Lord and you care more about me going the right way even more than I do.  So surely I can be brave and courageous, walking in integrity and honesty, obeying you, as I hope in you and trust you with my life and reputation."

I once heard someone say, "Jesus cannot say 'Go' without first saying 'Come.'"  I like Psalm 27:8: My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me."  And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."  Really, how else do we expect to hear from God and know his will for our lives if we don't spend time with him, talking with him, and learning from him?  How else can I expect to know what to do next?  Sure, talking to wise friends helps.  It can help flush some things out.  Sometimes God does speak to us through other people, or confirms things through them, but ultimately he is the source.  It's like doing research for school.  How much more credible is a primary document rather than a secondary one that makes reference to it?  Or, even worse, a tertiary source which quotes the secondary which quotes the primary?  Very much so.  Anyone who's done academic research will tell you that.  It's the same with God.

In order to say like David: 

But I am trusting you, O Lord,

saying, "You are my God!"

My future is in your hands.

-Psalm 31:14-15

There has to be a conscious decision to wait on God and listen to him.  There has to be deliberate time spent with him, allowing him to teach.

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

I will advise you and watch over you."

-Psalm 32:8

That is a promise we can live in if we seek the Lord.  If we come to him.  Just like a parent, boss or professor, you don't know what job to do or how they want it done until you ask them and listen to what they have to say.  That is why the Lord says, "Come."  He says, "For I know the plans I have for you... They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  I will be found by you" (Jeremiah 29:11-13).  He's not hiding.  We are the ones who like to go our own way and ignore his calls so to speak.  Yet he says, "Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come" (Jeremiah 33:3).

There are a lot of questions in my life right now.  I'm confused about a lot of things.  Some of these things I want to be angry about, yet I know there is a bigger picture that I don't understand.  It seems that most things don't turn out as I expect.  I've stopped making plans.  They're just me fooling myself.  One step at a time, one moment at a time, is better.  One decision at a time asking, "Is this glorifying to God?"  Responding to God's call, "Come," with "Speak, your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:10), "confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living" (Psalm 27:13) and not be disgraced as I wait in his presence.