Journal Ps 107-109 (all references are from the ESV; changes in punctuation are mine)
Scripture: “My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Ps 108:1-4
Observation: What is being an INTENTIONAL believer like? It is kind of like this…
Analysis: Imperative(s). Something that is vital, crucial, essential. I like this word. It describes places in scripture where I need to pay attention; places where what the Word of God says, I need to cram in my heart to stay.
The above section contains this imperative: I will.
The imperative “I will” leads me to the action, “I will be intentional.”
The phrase, “I will obey” or “I will be obedient” can have this fatalistic feeling about it, where “I guess I have to do [something] to be in good graces of God.” It can mean that I am obligated to comply whether I want to or not AND I am graded on it. Not true, but it can feel like that if I don’t review the Gospel frequently.
Being intentional is more like identifying what to do and jumping into embracing it.
That is what the Psalmist is doing:
- I will sing.
- I will make melody with all my being.
- I will awake the dawn.
- I will give thanks wherever I am among people.
The phrase “I will…” is a declaration of intentionality. “I intend to sing; I intend to make melody with ALL my being; I intend to awaken the dawn; I intend to give thanks everywhere I am…”
This was a good reminder to me today. I have misplaced that “intentionality” in my own life during this season of life, CV-19, isolation, and stuff.
Suggestion to any reader: Call someone. Call someone and review this post. Talk about how to encourage each other to the good work of being INTENTIONAL to the imperatives of the Scriptures.
Prayer: Father, why is it so easy to write this but not do it? It breaks my heart that I can learn this and yet fail. It is why I need to remember the Gospel, remember my frame and my dependence on You. It is why I need constant reminders to look to You, my savior, and keep my nose to the grindstone everyday so I don’t forget. AMEN