Walk in the presence of God

Scripture: I am bound by the vows I have made , God, I will pay you the debt of thanks, for you have saved my life from death to walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living. Psalm 56:12-13

Prayer: In the heat of battle—any battle that seeks to draw me down physically or emotionally—let me pay my debt of thanks as I continue to seek to walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.

Response: And surely you realize that in giving thanks you are not simply paying a debt, but continually being rewarded, yes rewarded, to continue your walk in the presence of God. Though of course, there are seasons in your life when you might compare the walk to one in deep sand or worse; and you might even wonder what happened to the light. However, if you pause, come to your heart senses, you will realize the reason you can't see the light is that you are actually unfolding into His very light.

Please do not rush over the words debt of thanks—put another way-- debt of joy. Put aside the notion of debt for a moment, and consider the boundless joy available to you in the presence of God as you are included with those who walk in the light of the living.

What does that mean? Well, first and foremost, it means that each day is filled, yes filled, with bountiful grace and opportunity. Seems difficult to imagine when you would characterize some days in different terms. However, it is just on those days that you are being pushed to go deeper and plumb the depths of His blessings. You might ask, how can I test this? Well, the next time you wonder about the truth of this statement, begin a list of what is happening in your life that proves you have been saved as exhibited by innumerable offerings—an unexpected revelation or insight, a message received that offers encouragement, an opportunity to assist another, laughter that erupts in the tears. So you see, you don't have to be desperate to receive His grace, but you have to be alert to register its flood over you and those you love.