Re-orienting to The Living God

When we notice that we are “off-track,” or fearful, in pain, confused, or generally disoriented, re-orienting ourselves is a helpful thing to know how to do. How do we get ourselves above the fray and confusion of the swirl of life? Arguably my favorite prayer from the Word is in 1 Chronicles 29. David is releasing his dream project, of building a temple for the Living God, for his son to accomplish. King David was many things, but he was a worshiper of the Living God before all other things.

The one thing I ask of the Lord—
    the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
    delighting in the Lord’s perfections
    and meditating in his Temple. Psalm 27:4

I propose that this prayer in 1 Chronicles 29 can do much in re-orienting us, leading us to that which will give us balance. This prayer invites us up above the swirls and valleys.

“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! ¹¹ Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. ¹² Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.

As we lift our eyes to our Creator, we begin re-orienting to a “birds-eye” or “God’s-eye” view of our situation. David continues explaining what this higher view reveals.

¹³ “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! ¹⁴ But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! ¹⁵ We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

This is not condemnation, but a reality check. David is not saying we are worthless, he is saying we are not God. We need God, and we are chosen by God.

I love how this next section ties the two viewpoints together, re-orienting us to the truth. We begin to see once again that we are important to the plans of the Only Living God.

¹⁶ “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! ¹⁷ I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.

How do we bring our lives and offerings to God? Do we remember where every breath we take comes from? It is easy to forget because of the noises around us, telling us we are entitled, thinking that what we have earned is ours. Davids next section attempts to address this.

¹⁸ “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. ¹⁹ Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.”

²⁰ Then David said to the whole assembly, “Give praise to the Lord your God!” And the entire assembly praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the Lord and the king.

Re-orienting ourselves to worship in Spirit and truth is a daily invitation and responsibility to walk in the strength of peace and the power of love. As we ground ourselves in the Living God, we tap into all the resources we need to meet each day.

After you take some time to sit with this, please let me know how Abba has ministered to you.