Ordinary Time 
Pause
Sometimes I forgetā¦
That his grace is sufficient for me,
That itās deeper and wider than I can conceive:
His grace is sufficient for me.
Jennifer Knapp, āHis Grace Is Sufficientā
Listen
Thatās why my heart celebrates and my mood is joyous; yes, my whole body will rest in safetyĀ because you wonāt abandon my life to the grave;Ā you wonāt let your faithful follower see the pit.
You teach me the way of life. In your presence is total celebration. Beautiful things are always in your right hand.
Psalm 16:9-11
Think
Psalm 16 always makes me wonder what āthe way of lifeā is supposed to be. How does God teach it to us? And if weāre not paying attention, does that mean weāre following the way of death instead?
The rest of the psalm gives us a glimpse of the answer. In Godās presence is total celebration. The way of life means showing up to the party. Godās right hand is filled with beautiful things. The way of life means noticing them and enjoying their beauty. If thereās a āway of deathā out there somewhere, it must be the opposite: loneliness, despair, and noticing only the ugliness of the world. Of course, we all encounter the way of death sometimes. Thatās why we need God to teach and protect us.
Sometimes, as Christians, we feel like weāre doing something wrong if we arenāt joyful all the time. But God isnāt waiting to punish us for being ungrateful. Instead, God is our patient teacher, gently helping us live a life of more joy, beauty, and love.
Catherine Healy
Question to Ponder:
What does āthe way of lifeā look like for you today?
Pray
God, you are the God of celebration and beautiful things. Teach me the way of life, and help me notice the love and beauty around me today. Amen.
Go
If God is for us, who is against us?
Romans 8:31b
