Day 16 - Dedicate Your Place To Him by Pastor Tim Escamilla

"21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory" (Psalm 73:21-24, ESV).

If I asked you when are the times you are most likely to be mean to those you love, I bet you'd respond with, "When I'm hurt." When we've been hurt, it's easy to hurt others. We say the wrong thing, or say the right thing in the wrong way, or we go off the deep end and unload our hurt on someone we love. We do that as if it's gonna lessen our hurt. But what is that we find after we've treated a loved one in this way? More hurt. We feel worse, don't we? 

It doesn't surprise me that this is a Psalm of David. David knew hurt. He had been hurt, and had most definitely hurt others. His soul was embittered; he was pricked in heart. As a result of this, he was brutish and ignorant. He, like we can sometimes, didn't know that he was trying to deal with the hurt in him by taking it out on someone else. Who is it that David loved the most? The Lord our God. So David says, I was like a beast toward you. He was like a beast toward God! 

Even though he was hurt, and had treated the Lord like a beast, David knew the only place he belonged was with Him! If anything, his feelings of hurt made him run and stay and cling to the Lord harder than ever. Continually with Him! Holding his right hand, guiding with His counsel, and then receiving him into glory. No matter how hurt you are, and no matter how many people you've hurt, your place is with HIM continually! That hurt doesn't change where you and I belong. We belong with Him. 

To take a little bit from yesterday's post, I want to encourage you to dedicate your place to Him. Surrender your hurt to Him, and dedicate your presence to Him. In dedicating that, simply be with Him. He's where you and I belong; in His glory. 

-Pastor Tim Escamilla