What Is Your Escape Route

            

              There are some days you just don’t feel like opening your bible, praying, or thinking about God.  There are some days that you don’t know how to pray or what to say, your breaking heart overcomes you and you just don’t know what to do.  Perhaps you’ve lost your job of 20 years.  Perhaps someone has betrayed you.  Perhaps there has been a sudden death in your family that you don’t understand.  Perhaps your spouse of 30 years has just confessed and affair to you and left you sitting alone not knowing where to turn or what to do.  Perhaps your child just broke your heart in two. 

            It is tempting in these dark moments of the soul to escape.  We escape through alcohol, drugs, mindless scrolling through Facebook, people, affairs, sleep.  The evil one offers us many routes of escaping the moments that overwhelm us.  We could be escaping something as big as the loss of a career or something as overwhelming as an unclean house.  The last thing we can think about is pulling out our Bibles and reading a psalm or praying.  It’s hard to feel God’s presence.  It’s easier to numb the pain.

            Friends escape is the easy route but it’s also the route that will lead to self-destruction.  It is in these times that we must turn to our shepherd for care.  What better prayer to pray during these times then the 25^th psalm:  If you find yourself in escape mode today, please pray this prayer with me: 

I offer my life to you, Lord.  My God I trust you (emphasis mine).  Please don’t let me be put to shame!  Don’t let my enemies rejoice over me!  For that matter, don’t let anyone who hopes in you be put to shame; instead, let those who are treacherous without excuse be put to shame.  Make your ways known to me, LORD; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth---teach it to me---because you are the God who saves me.  I put my hope in you all day long.  Lord, remember your compassion and faithful love---they are forever!  But don’t remember the sins of my youth or my wrongdoing.  Remember me only according to your faithful love for the sake of your goodness, LORD.  The LORD is good and does the right thing; he teachers sinners which way they should go.  God guides the weak to justice, teaching them his way.  All the LORD’s paths are loving and faithful for those who keep his covenant and laws.  Please for the sake of your good name, LORD; forgive my sins, which are many!  Turn to me, God, and have mercy on me because I’m alone and suffering.  My heart’s troubles keep getting bigger---set me free from my distress!  Look at my suffering and trouble----forgive all my sins!  Please protect my life!  Deliver me!  Don’t let me be put to shame because I take refuge in you.  Let integrity and virtue guard me because I hope in you.  Amen.  (Psalm 25:1-11, 16-18, 20-21)