THE SEED
“LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.” Psalm 84:12
Action and quiet—both are necessary for a well-rounded life. We might tend toward one or the other, with action perhaps more to our liking in our fast-paced world today. Yet I also sense that a longing for quiet asserts itself at times. Some speed bumps are now called “calming strips.” Psalm 84 bears the imprint of quiet. “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord.” The swallow nests quietly with her young near God’s altar. Yet caring for the young is also about action. Psalm 84 pictures a balance of both quiet and action. “Ever praising you” is an example of continual action while enjoying the quiet blessing of dwelling with God. “Blessed are those … whose hearts are set on pilgrimage”; they move from quiet reflection to action, going “from strength to strength” till they appear before God. Being “a doorkeeper in the house of my God” sounds like a quiet responsibility, and yet one “whose walk is blameless” leads a life of action. Vigorous action and sweet quiet. We need both, and we need them in the proportion God ordains for us. As the psalmist puts it, “Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”
BIBLE READING: PSALM 84
PRAYER: Father, in this Lenten season, may we find your strength in times of quiet, that we may actively walk with you. Through Jesus Christ our hope, Amen.
AGBARA ÌGBÉSẸ ÀTI IDAKẸJẸ TI O DUN
IRUGBIN NAA
Oluwa awọn ọmọ-ogun, ibùkún ni fún oluwarẹ̀ nà ti o gbẹkẹle Ọ. Saamu 84:12
Ìgbésẹ ati idakẹjẹ mejeeji jẹ pataki fun igbesi aye wa lapapọ. A le ni itara si ọkan tabi ekeji, pẹlu igbeṣe diẹ si awọn ifẹ wa ninu aye, ti o ni iyara kàn kàn ni ode oni. Sibẹsibẹ Mo tun ni oye pe ifẹ fun idakẹjẹ n sọ funrararẹ ni awọn igba miiran. Diẹ ninu awọn ohun adani duro sí iyara ni a pe ni “awọn ila ifọkanbalẹ”. Orin Dafidi 84 ni ami ti idakẹjẹ. “Ọkàn mi nfa, nítòótọ́ o tilẹ npe ongbẹ, fun agbala Oluwa.” Ni tootọ ologoṣẹ ti ri ile nibiti yíó gbé má pá awọn ọmọ rẹ mọ sí, àní pẹpẹ Ọlọrun. Sibẹsibẹ abojuto awọn ọdọ tun jẹ nipa igbeṣe. Psalm 84 ṣe àfihàn bí a tí le ṣe iwọn tún wọn sì làrin igbeṣe ati idakẹ́ jẹ. “Fi fi iyin fun Ọ lailai” jẹ apẹẹrẹ ti igbeṣe igbagbogbo nigbati gbigbadun ibukun jẹ gbigbe pẹlu Ọlọrun ni idakẹ jẹ. “Alábukunfun ni àwọn tí ọkàn wọn wà sí ipá ìrìn-àjò mímọ́” wọ́n lọ láti inú ìrò ìdákẹ́jẹ́ẹ́ sí ìgbeṣe, tí wọ́n si ń lọ “láti ipá dé ipá” títí wọ́n fi fara hàn níwájú Ọlọ́run. Jíjẹ “adena ni ile Ọlọrun mi” dabi ẹni pe o jẹ ojuṣe ti o ni idakẹ, sibẹ “ẹniti nrin ni ailabawọn” n ṣe atọkun igbesi-aye iṣe. Agbara ìgbésẹ ati idakẹjẹ didùn. A nilo awọn mejeeji, ati pe a nilo wọn ni iwọn ti Ọlọrun yàn fun wa. Gẹ́gẹ́ bí onísáàmù náà ṣe sọ ọ́, “Olúwa Olódùmarè, ìbùkún ni fún ẹni tí ó gbẹ́kẹ̀ lé ọ.”
BIBELI KIKA: Psalm 84
ADURA: Baba, ni akoko aawẹ yi, jẹ ki a ri agbara Rẹ ni igba idakẹjẹ, ki a le ba ọ rin taratara. Nipa Jesu Kristi ireti wa. Amin.