Week 22: May 25-31, 2025 -Going One-to-One with God
This week’s daily readings:
This week’s devotional:
Going One-to-One with God
by Sue Hersey
Scripture:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.— Psalm 121 (NIV)
Reflection:
Psalm 121 (subtitled “A song of ascents”) is meant to be sung on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem that stands on a mountain. Don’t think for a moment, however, that the mountain is where our focus really should be. Our eyes should look firmly toward God – the one who made us and cares for us. I’ve never been to Jerusalem and I’m not much for mountain climbing these days, but I can relate this type of trek with my own spiritual journey to become closer to God. Like on any long walk, it’s hard to avoid feeling like your feet might slip at times, but we can be assured that God watches over us day and night, sustaining us as we go. Believing these comforting promises is the beginning of a beautiful relationship built on trust, and it brings me closer to God every time I read it! I like to think of this psalm as a metaphor for the way we two relate: one-to-one (for Psalm 1-2-1).
One-to-one is the ideal situation for tutoring, mentoring, or even fitness training – just two people: one dedicated to learning and the other showing him or her how. Setting aside a portion of your valuable time to spend with the Lord, one-to-one with his word, is like giving a tithe. We need to give God our time generously and often. Consider it an investment in your spiritual growth!
A good way to spend time with God is to memorize Scripture. If you’ve never done it before, Psalm 121 is an ideal Scripture to start with: it’s short and it’s broken into four sections, which helps make it easy. God calls us to “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;” in Deuteronomy 11:18. I also found a good article online at www.unlockingthebible.org called “Ten Biblical Reasons to Memorize Scripture,” including the fact that Jesus memorized it and quoted it roughly 180 times that we know of. Knowing God’s word renews our minds, transforms our lives, keeps us obedient, helps us understand God and his will, and enables us to encourage others. Challenging yourself this way will set you off on an amazing journey going one-to-one with God. Try it and see!
Prayer:
Lord, I cherish our relationship! You are indeed like a wonderful Father watching over me, and I praise you for your love and protection. Help me to draw closer to you as I get to know your word, fixing bits of it in my heart and mind. Holy Spirit, inform me of God’s will and transform me into the person you would have me be. Make me more like Jesus, quoting Scripture to encourage others in their journeys. And keep me happy spending time with you Lord, one-to-one, knowing I will be enriched beyond measure just by lifting up my eyes to you! In Jesus’ name, Amen