Lectio Divina

My small group has been focusing on a scripture meditation method called lectio divina. It has been really cool to see God speak when we actually stop and listen for his voice through his written word. Today, I was particularly blessed by the passage we read. Every verse has specific meaning in what God is doing in this season of my life.

Psalm 118: 19-29

Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!

(I asked the Lord to open the doors if it was his will as I've prayed the past few months about being accepted to MBI. The doors are now open)

The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

(I had rejected the idea of school and wanted to avoid it all costs. But God placed it as the core of the next phase of my journey. It has been so encouraging to see God work in his mysteries!)
Please, Lord, please save us.
Please, Lord, please give us success.

(Now as school is a reality for me, I have begun to plead for favor in my studies.)

Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, shining upon us.
Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.

(I am filled with excitement for what God has planned but I will have to continually surrender my fears of inadequacy to him.)
You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

(Asking me to surrender what has been the symbol of all my fears is a step towards new life, and a deeper, more intimate relationship with him. I know that though this will be hard it is part of the refining process and I can't wait to see his faithfulness as he continues to mold me in his likeness!)