Today is April 16.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.  
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from Psalm 119.  
 

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?  
         By living according to your word.  
      I seek you with all my heart;  
         do not let me stray from your commands.  
      I have hidden your word in my heart  
         that I might not sin against you.  
      Praise be to you, LORD;  
         teach me your decrees.  
      With my lips I recount  
         all the laws that come from your mouth.  
      I rejoice in following your statutes  
         as one rejoices in great riches.  
      I meditate on your precepts  
         and consider your ways.  
      I delight in your decrees;  
         I will not neglect your word.  
  

Purity is a word that comes with a lot of baggage for folks, so let me offer an image to center us around this psalm: consider the freshest, clearest, purest, coldest spring water you can imagine. This is the picture of purity the Bible gives us: something that is perfectly clean, not a drop of pollution or toxin or runnoff! The psalmist is saying that He desires to that sort of purity for his heart, and his mind and his actions. Where do you notice a disregard for purity of heart, mind, or behavior causing damage in the world around you?  
   
Now consider your own heart... your own mind... and your own behavior... How your heart responds to those who irritate you, maybe. Or what you fill your mind with when it comes to music or social media or news or humor or gaming. Consider how you act, how you spend your money, how you treat people. Are there areas where you want to pray “let me seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commands...”?  
   
The psalmist rejoices, meditates, considers, delights, and does not neglect the word of God. As we end our time of prayer would you think about how much the word of God informs you? Your thinking, your attitudes, your behaviors? If you’re not in a space where you are regularly learning from the word of God, consider getting connected to a small group or other context where you can learn to understand and apply scripture to yourself. 

Lord God, Almighty and Everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with Your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of Your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.    
 
Music: Let Your Glory Fall - Vineyard Worship - (YouTube)