Make Me Know Your Ways, Lord

AM Psalm 25 • PM Psalm 9, 15
Dan.4:19-27 • 1 John 3:19-4:6 • Luke 4:14-30

When I was a little boy, I had a proclivity for telling tall tales. I don’t think there was anything sinister going on, I just had a vivid imagination. When I was in the second grade, I had a teacher named Mrs. Roland who had such a big impact on me. She was older and reminded me of my grandma and I just remember her always taking the time to listen to me. I loved her. She made me want to be a good student. One time I asked my mom to write down the words to a James Taylor song so I could copy them and give them to Mrs. Roland. I told her I had “written her a poem.” I remember her sitting with me and reading it aloud and saying things like “how beautiful” and “this is so wonderful.” While I’m not sure how the lyrics to “Fire and Rain” applied to Mrs. Roland or me, I know that she cared about me and was so encouraging. I learned so much from her. She made me want to listen and to learn. She gave me courage to try things and to practice my handwriting. Thank heaven for all the Mrs. Rolands of the world.

God works through teachers. I think that’s because He is a teacher at heart. God sees in us something that is not clear to us all the time. Potential. God gives us lessons in many ways. He teaches through experience and through instruction. He teaches through reflection. When Jesus came to His hometown of Nazareth and taught in the synagogue he read from Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord,” then He sat and remarked, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:18–21). He wanted the people in the synagogue to reflect on Isaiah’s words and consider their place in them. Perhaps even question it.

So often I find myself reacting to something in my life in a way that positions me as the person in “the right” and another person as “in the wrong.” It’s kind of a baseline for humans. And people who frequently attend worship services. Generally, we tend to think we’re right—all of the time. Thank Heaven God is a teacher and not merely a judge. In this morning’s Psalm we are reminded, “The Lord is good and upright; Therefore, He instructs sinners in the way” (Psalm 25:8). God is a masterful teacher. He stoops to conquer and becomes man to save man. Like Mrs. Rowland, He comes to where we are. May we recognize Him when He comes to meet us in the way.

Make me know Your ways, Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:4–5

God love you.

Written by Jonathan Wright

Jonathan is a native of Atlanta, GA and a relatively new member of St. Paul’s. He moved to the parish from the Cathedral Church of Saint Mark in Salt Lake City, UT where he became an Episcopalian.