5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Commit to the Lord your way; trust in him, and he will act. 

It’s easy to think that committing your way to the Lord should be like jumping out of an airplane: no going back, no changing your mind. But it’s not an absolute “once and done” deed. It’s a commitment that you need to reaffirm every day. Today’s responsorial psalm encourages that. It exhorts us to put our lives in God’s hands and to pledge to obey him as wholeheartedly as we can. Then, as the psalm promises, we can look to see what he will do.

God will act. He will always do something, even though you might not always live out your end of that commitment perfectly. Look at King Solomon. At the beginning of his reign, Solomon had honored God as his father, David, had. And God acted by giving Solomon the wisdom to know how to rule his people (1 Kings 3:9). He also made Solomon the envy of all the rulers of the Middle East. Even the Queen of Sheba came offering gifts (10:1-6). But Solomon’s commitment to the Lord wavered, and he built up his own wealth while neglecting his nation’s well-being.

Now, no modern queen of Sheba is likely to appear on your doorstep bearing extravagant gifts. But as you seek the Lord wholeheartedly and commit your way to him, you can expect him to act. In fact, you can do even better than Solomon did. With the presence of the Holy Spirit, you can grow in humility and purity more and more each day.

As you do, God will act. Perhaps he will give you a wealth of wisdom or comforting words to share with someone who is struggling. Or maybe you will experience the riches of patience in a difficult situation, healing of an illness, or freedom from habitual sin. Strive to follow the Lord faithfully (not necessarily perfectly), and you will see him act.

Recall this verse often during the day, and renew your commitment to God as you do. You don’t have to be perfect—neither King David nor King Solomon was. Just ask God, who is good and who loves you, to help you do better. He will guide your every step.

“Lord, I commit my day to you today. Help me to walk in your paths.”

1 Kings 10:1-10
Mark 7:14-23
Psalm 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-41