God’s promise of a rule for our life.
Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments.
Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.
The wicked see it and are angry; they gnash their teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.
A Spiritual Practice to Consider-
When I was thinking about this promise of God, I was thinking about a rule for our life like the rule of St. Benedict. A rule for your life isn’t a list of what you can and cannot do. A rule is a life-giving covenant that guides the way you live. For a good introduction to St. Benedict’s rule, I suggest Benedict’s Way: An Ancient Monk’s Insights for a Balanced Life.
And as an added bonus, I’m sharing with you the rule I created for myself for this year.
Pace myself! Plan ahead. Allow extra time. Hurrying only makes me stressed. If I arrive early, I’ll enjoy it.
Listen! Who knows what I’ll hear when I stop talking and turn off the noise? I will be present when someone is talking. I know everyone wants to be heard and I will listen.
Look! God is here. I will look for God in the people I meet. I will look for God working in my life. I will open my eyes and look.