Day Fourteen – January 11, 2020

Read: Psalm 108:1-4 New Revised Standard Version

 

Here is how Eugene Peterson translates Psalm 108:1-4 in his Message Translation of the Bible.

Psalm 108:1-6 The Message (MSG)

A David Prayer

 

108 ^1-2 I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing,
    ready to raise a God-song:
“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

^3-6 I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
    reach down and help me—answer me!

 

Readiness.  It is a noun that means skill or eagerness.  The Thesaurus gives these synonyms: fitness, good will, keenness, preparation, preparedness, willingness, promptness and ripeness among others.  The one that speaks to me today is ripeness.  I love pears, but a pear has to be just the right ripeness.  Too early and the pear is hard.  Too late and the pear is brown and squishy.  But when the pear is just right…..ahhhhh!

 

I want to be ready for God to use me.  I want to be ripe.  Sometimes that means I am not quite ready yet, that God and I have some work yet to do in my heart and in my life.  I think we can also wait too long and miss opportunities God has for us.  So, I want to be ripe, ready, keen, prepared, fit and willing.

 

Music:

Crystal Bowersox was a contestant on the show American Idol in 2010.  With some great coaching, she was “ready”, she was “ripe” to let her song be heard.  Click on the link to listen:  People Get Ready – Crystal Bowersox   

 

Prayer Focus:

How ripe and ready are you?

 

Grace and peace,
Pastor Karen Bruins