Psalm 51:1-2
Have
mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! (ESV)
Psalm 51:7
Purge
me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
(ESV)
Psalm 51:10
Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (ESV)
Psalm 51:12
Restore
to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (ESV)
How does one go about getting ready for
a trip like this? Certainly we need to
figure out what kind of clothes to take, what accessories we might need, how
much money we need to take, etc. However, before we do all of that, there is
something so much more important that we need to do first.
For you to be most effective on this
trip, you must begin first with yourself.
I believe it is a fairly safe thing to promise you that there will be
many joys and many rewarding experiences while we are in Uganda. However, it is equally as safe to say that
there will be many challenges and difficulties that we will face as well. The
optimal word for all of us will be "flexibility," because things will
not always go smoothly or as planned.
What you do in those moments will speak volumes about your testimony and
commitment to Christ. The best way to be
prepared for those difficulties and challenges and the best way to take maximum
advantage of the joys and rewards is to be spiritually pure and blameless
before God.
Summertime has increasingly become one
of the most stressful times of the year.
We are hard pressed to find the time to do the many things we have
planned, including VBS, vacation, and yes, even this mission trip. If we are not careful, we can quickly become
overwhelmed by the tyranny of our schedules and lose the joy of our
salvation. We can easily lose our
spiritual edge and allow unconfessed sin to fester in our lives until we become
ineffective in our Christian service. It
can happen to the best of us despite our good intentions otherwise.
True revival always starts in the same
place - in "me" (or in your case - in "you"). The verses at the beginning of this
devotional are all part of one of the greatest prayers of repentance ever
prayed - that of King David after sinning with Bathsheba, the wife of
Uriah. The words of that Psalm remind us
of the four steps of any spiritual renewal process: Repentance, Cleansing, Renewal, and
Restoration. These four steps are
essential to our being in the right place with God.
In your quiet time today - and
regularly over the next few weeks - be very intentional about going through
these four steps. Confess your
sins. Seek cleansing from the impurity
brought about by that sin. Desire a
renewal of your soul. Pray for the
restoration of the joy of your salvation.
There is a verse that I found about a year ago that comes to mind often
when I realize that I have lost the joy of my salvation. It is found in Psalm 90:14. I suggest memorizing it and making it a
regular part of your daily meditation and preparation for this trip.
Satisfy
us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all
our days. (ESV)
Father, I pray for the spiritual
condition of every member of this mission team, beginning with me. Restore us to a right place with you and
satisfy us with your steadfast love.
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