Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “Taking the Lead” for Wednesday, 5 November 2014 - Scripture: Psalm 139:1-12

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “Taking the Lead” for Wednesday, 5 November 2014 - Scripture: Psalm 139: A David Psalm
1-6 God, investigate my life;
    get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
    I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
    before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
    then up ahead and you’re there, too—
    your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
    I can’t take it all in!
7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
    to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
    If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
    At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;
    night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.
If a blind person leads another blind person, both will fall into a ditch.(Matthew 15:14 (CEB))
When my friends and I tried ballroom dancing, we knew our roles: the men lead and the women follow. Growing up as an American woman, I believe women should never subject themselves to man’s dominance. However, as I came to enjoy the complementary dance roles of leader and follower and considered how God desires to lead us, I realized to my detriment that I may have mistaken leading as dominance.
In ballroom dancing, the man’s purpose is to empower his partner to express beauty, elegance, and grace. He surveys their surroundings, determines their course, and guides the woman by gently pressing his hand against her back. I’ll never forget one partner who failed to keep his hand strong and purposeful. I was constantly looking over my shoulder in fear we might crash. However, with a partner who confidently took the lead — careful to guide and protect my steps — I felt safe and was free to enjoy the dance.
Likewise, God desires to lead us — not to dominate us. Because we are made in God’s image, when we yield ourselves to God’s loving lead, we reflect God’s beauty and grace back onto a fearful, lost, and chaotic world.
The Author: Shadia Hrichi (California, USA)
Thought for the Day: God’s leading is strong and sure.
Prayer: Dear Lord, teach us to follow your lead that we may guide others into the truth of your love. Amen.
Prayer focus: Dancers
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