Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life.
Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a
Saying “no” to false gods can, perhaps, be compared to the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, taking the first steps of leaving their life of slavery in Egypt. They were now moving toward new freedom. Freedom to be all that God made them to be, and to worship and serve God.
Saying “maybe” to the God of love and grace can, perhaps. be compared to the Israelites living in the desert, freed from slavery but uncertain and afraid in their relationship with God. God feeds them and leads them and cares for them. God teaches them more and more to trust that God is with them and loves them.
Saying “yes” to God may be compared to entering the promised land. We have much to learn, we are still children spiritually, but our trust in God’s love has grown. We are more often able to open ourselves to God’s love and take it in. We are more often able to trust God’s personal love and care.
To say “yes” to the God of love and grace is to say yes to Love. We meditate, as the psalmist did, on “God’s unfailing love.” We sit in the presence of this love. We receive this love. We let this love heal us and fill us. The prayer of “yes” to God is the prayer of taking in God’s love and of opening our hearts to return that love.
In saying “yes” to the God of love we are also listening to God’s voice of wisdom and guidance for us each day. The prayer of “yes” is the prayer of surrender. It is the prayer of the sheep who knows the Shepherd’s voice and follows the Shepherd’s lead.
In saying “yes” we are “holding fast” to God, even while God “holds fast” to us. The prayer of “yes” to God is the prayer of acknowledgment that God is our most intimate other. The prayer of “yes” to God is the prayer of engaging in an intimate, loving, joyful relationship with the One who made us, the One who longs for closeness with us and the One for whom our soul longs.
We will continue to have times when we doubt God’s love and personal care. There will be times when we hesitate to follow our Shepherd’s lead. There will be times when we resist the very intimacy we desire. But once we have entered this promised land and tasted the milk and honey, we will find ourselves asking for the grace to say “yes” again and again.
Today I say yes to you, God.
I say yes to your love for me.
May I receive your love.
May I rest in your love.
I say yes as well to your
loving will for me.
I say yes to all you would
teach me and change in me.
I say yes to you, my Love, my Life.
Prayer suggestion:
As you sit quietly, notice both your readiness and your resistance to saying “yes” to God’s love for you. Notice as well your readiness and your resistance to saying “yes” to God’s loving will for you. As you can, ask for the grace to say “yes”. As you can, say “yes” to the God of love.
In this time of mental and heart overload…this ministered to me sweetly. Thank you.
Yes to Him and all of His abundant presence in our lives, yes to His stretching and refining, Yes to His never ending love and mercies. Yes to the sweet saints in our lives who encourage us on! ( you’re one of those!)
I send you and Dale much love, Juanita.
Thank you, Cheryl. I love this practice of saying Yes to God’s goodness, to God’s kindness, to God’s guidance and teaching and correction. I am grateful it spoke to you. Much love to you!