Jan 20 - Placing My Hope In God

Test me, O Lord, and try me; *
Examine my heart and my mind.
For your love is before my eyes; *
I have walked faithfully with you.
Psalm 26:2-3

Place your hope in God alone. If you notice something good in yourself, give credit to God, not yourself, but be certain that the evil you commit is always your own and yours to acknowledge.
Benedict's Rule 4:41-43 (Chittister, Pg.61)

Whatever the motive, Benedict reminds us that the consciousness of God's presence, behind us, within us, in front of us, demands a change in heart, a change of attention from us. From now on we must think differently and tell a different truth.
Chittister, Pg. 62

Yes, examine my heart and mind. I have walked faithfully. I live this life in trust that God faithfully walks with me. My experience, though, is God is more faithfully walking with me than I am with Him. As I read the rule I see a path. I am to place my hope in God alone, not my great ideas. I let go of my schemes and listen for God's guidance.

A Note To Anyone Reading:

This entry is part of a series that is developing as I read The Rule of Benedict, A Spirituality for the 21st Century, Joan Chittister, Crossroads, 2010. I am offering this both to those at St. George's Episcopal Church, Arlington VA, that may be reading Ms. Chittister's book and to anyone that is interested.

Unless stated otherwise quotes from St. Benedict's Rule from the translation in this same book.
Psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer, The Episcopal Church, 1979 unless otherwise noted.

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