Commitment

Training for Today: Rest! (I know that it's quite odd to rest on the first training day, but I thought it would work well for the long-haul to have a rest day on Sundays.)

Devotion: Commitment

Ha! Isn’t this a fitting title for our first day of training? As we embark on this journey together, I thought it appropriate to begin with an appeal to your sense of commitment. Are you with me?

I’ve structured our devotions according to a powerful psalm, Psalm 13. In my own experience with grief, I really feel that this psalm captures the stages of grief. Each week will focus on a short portion of Psalm 13 as the theme, with the devotions fitting the overall theme. Here’s Psalm 13:

1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

If you look closely at the transformation that takes place during this psalm, you’ll see a progression from wrestling with God to singing His name and recognizing the goodness of His hand in our lives.

Our first week of devotions will focus on verse 1 of the psalm. We’ll go back to those early moments of grief, when we were filled with shock, anger, and many questions for God. We’ll work through those feelings again, but with our eyes fixed on the empty cross of our risen Savior. It’s because of His commitment to us that we can now demonstrate our commitment to Him. So, let’s grow together spiritually, physically, and emotionally, that we might be better instruments to serve our Lord! Are you with me?

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I praise and thank you for this opportunity to join with other women, friends, and family who support this cause. Fill me with a deep sense of commitment and perseverance not only for this race, but also in my relationship with you. Amen.