What Is the Faithful Way Forward Today?

May 25, 2022

By Brooke Holt

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for you judge the people with equity and guide the nations upon the earth.” (Psalm 67:1-4 ESV)

Have you ever noticed how people in this world seem to thrive on drama? Why do you think the news stations focus on all the world’s problems and rarely deliver good or uplifting news? People are drawn to war, viruses, tensions, political animosity, etc. It is quite sad if you stop to consider it. Far too often the media manipulates and drags us into the chaos of our day.

There is another way our psalmist models for us today—the way of prayer. Instead of focusing on the world’s problems, the psalmist prays for God to come into the mess, be gracious to his people, make his face shine upon his people, and lead them in the way of the Lord. He knows the Lord’s way is the way to joy. It is how people are drawn together in the worship of the Lord. And so, the psalmist asks the Lord to display his power among all the nations. People come together when they see the Lord and thus see each other as the Lord sees. There is no color, race, or ethnicity—just children of God drawn together to praise God.

Today, our world feels broken, divided, and without hope of moving back toward the Lord. Is there any hope for us? As Christians, we know there is always hope with the Lord; however, we must choose to embrace that hope and allow the Lord to transform our thoughts and actions. What if we stopped focusing on all the drama and invested that time and energy into prayer? What if we continued to pray for God’s light to shine in the darkness, and then we lived as children of the light? What if we stopped focusing on the things that divide us and begin focusing on what unites us—love of the Lord and worship of him alone?

There is a way forward that brings life, healing, and blessing, and we find that way in no other than Jesus Christ. He is the only hope for our world. Let’s stop allowing the media to control us and lift our eyes, hearts, and minds unto the Lord in praise and petition. There, we will find our hope and the faithful way forward.

Reflection:

How might the Lord be calling you to look away from the world’s doom and gloom and look to him? As you lift your eyes to the Lord, pray for the healing of our land, the light to shine in the darkness, and for God to bring revival today. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resource:

Follow the ancient way of the Psalms and find the life God has for you. A model for vibrant worship, the Psalms provide practical wisdom to traverse the circuitous path of life with trust and hope. Pilgrim’s Path: A Study of the Psalms traces our spiritual walk with God—from discovery and delight, through doubt and disappointment, into joyful confidence. Whether used for individual or group study, Pilgrim’s Path is for everyone who seeks to know and love God more and find life in him.