WEDNESDAY, March 10

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Psalm 119:97-120. Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path.
 
How we react to guidance reveals much about the state of our souls. There are days when even the gentlest reproof can cause us to be defensive or become angry. At other times we are grateful for guidance and good counsel.
 
We are told that the people of Israel rejoiced "because they had understood the words that were declared to them" when Ezra the priest read from the book of the law in the square before the Water Gate (Nehemiah 8). They heard the words as life-giving. They understood that the law was not a burden but a light to their lives, a lantern to their feet.
 
To know what is right is one thing. To know what is right and rejoice in it is another. That makes possible a life of perfect service. When we care and earnestly desire God's will upon earth, we discover the freedom for which Christ has set us free. (1985)
 
To receive guidance appreciatively requires the humility to acknowledge that we do not have all the answers and need the wisdom of others. Guidance is also more likely to be well-received if it is offered with humility. Humility helps on both sides. –Editor's Note
 
PRAY for the Diocese of Bor (Sudan)
 
Ps * 81, 82; Genesis 45:16-28; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 6:13-29