Psalm 34 - Steering Your Life

“Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14

One of the joys of living in the urban downtown sprawl of historic Puebla, Mexico, is that we have not been shackled to the confines of car. We walk to school every day, we walk to buy our groceries, and we walk to a host of amazing restaurants, parks, and coffee shops that are all within a stone’s throw of our abode. Both being native Texans, we have always been fascinated at the thought of living without a car and it has been extremely freeing…how ironic as we think a car means total freedom. But we do have access to a car and twice now in 5 months I have jumped behind the wheel to chauffeur us around our new home. And just like riding a bike, it all came back. Strap in, push the gas and simple turn that wheel where you want to go. And so it also is in this life, strap in, take every day as it comes and then steer your life in the direction you think it should go. The real question is however, where are you getting your directions, and do you always steer in that direction?

Psalm 34 is clearly labeled in its source inspiration at the beginning of the song. David was on the run from Saul and in fear for his life, he strayed too far into the land of the enemy, the Philistines. David believed that he would indeed be killed by Saul so he did what most of us would do, he created great distance between himself and his enemy. But in doing so, in steering his own life where he thought it should go, he ended up jumping right out of the frying pan and right into the fire. Finding himself in dire straits as the Phillistine king recognized David as the very one that had been instrumental in striking down thousands of his warriors, David resorts to acting crazy, foams at the mouth, and succeeds in getting himself kicked out of the royal Philistinian throneroom. David quickly makes haste back to the unknown, yet more secure setting, of a remote desolate cave. I like to think that as David got back to the familiar confines of yet another lonely cave, he thanked God for it and wondered how he had ever allowed himself to do his own steering. You see, when we take the wheel with no Godly GPS direction in our hearts, our journeys will be wayward indeed.

God’s GPS direction for our lives is beyond clear in Psalm 34, steer away from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it. The coordinates are set, the little GPS voice is telling you where to go and where to turn…but the real question of being a Christ-follower floats in the air like a child's lost balloon...will you follow God's directions? When you see evil in your life, will you turn your wheel and get away from it, or will you instead just keep cruising along in your own preferred way?

We live in a world today that is filled with people that seem to love evil and purposely steer right into it, especially online. You see people trawling and trolling around the internet just looking for someone they can bait into a verbal fistfight. God’s direction is just the opposite, seek peace and pursue it. A heart that belongs to Jesus Christ will forever seek to be close to the perfect peace that lies only within Him. The Holy Spirit-infused heart will seek to relish in that peace, to live in it, rolling around in it like a lively young calf in spring grass. Don’t deny your heart’s desire to live in that peace, it is a desire fueled by the Holy Spirit that lives within all Christ confessing believers. Seek it out, chase after it, and in doing so, you will find yourself leaving the path that leads to evil, for you will never find the cities of evil and peace existing together.

Today, set your GPS to God’s Word. Study it, love it, live it, do what it says. And then wherever it takes you, commit to following it with your whole heart. And as a result, you will find yourself steering in the direction of a locale that will be filled with the goodness, peace, freedom, purpose, and the harmony of God. And as the evil and sin of this world call for you to change your route, decline and refuse to turn that wheel. Hold firm, grip that wheel with confidence, and take a road trip with the Lord that will be abundant in its joy.

Blessings ~ Dan

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:11

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27

el momento atrapado (the moment caught), Cozumel, Mexico