Level Ground

Transcript

Hello, my friend… so glad you're with me today. This is By God's Call — day 203, Level Ground.

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!" Psalm 143:10.

This request doesn't come from a calm moment. David writes this psalm while pursued, his spirit in distress within him, as he says himself a few verses earlier. It is under pressure, with enemies at his heels, that he stops and prays: teach me. Not "get me out of this" first. Not "give me the victory" first. Teach me to do your will.

Notice the word he chooses: teach. Not "show me," like someone asking for a quick map. Teaching is a process. It's formation. David isn't looking for an emergency answer just for this moment of crisis — he's asking to be shaped, to learn to walk with God in a way that outlasts this specific pursuit.

And the foundation of the request is beautiful: "for you are my God." David isn't saying "teach me because I deserve it" or "because I've been faithful enough." The request rests entirely on relationship. It's because God is already his God — the covenant already exists, already sealed — that he has the confidence to ask for guidance. You don't need to prove you deserve God's direction. You just need to remember He's already your God.

And then comes the second half, which I find even more beautiful: "let your good Spirit lead me." David isn't asking for a distant sign, an arrow pointing from far away. He's asking for leading — active presence, someone walking beside him, step by step. God's good Spirit doesn't hand you a map and leave you alone to figure it out. He walks alongside.

And the destination of that walk is "level ground." This doesn't mean a life without challenges, without pursuit, without difficulty — David was still being chased when he wrote this. Level ground means a straight path, free of hidden traps under the grass, where you can walk without stumbling over deception, without falling into decisions that looked right but were snares.

Have you ever felt like you were walking on ground full of hidden holes? Decisions that had to be made fast, with no clarity at all? This verse is for you. It's not a magic formula that removes the difficulty — it's an honest request for direction, made by someone under real pressure who still trusted God would guide him.

So today, before making an important decision — it could be small, it could be big — stop and pray these same words out loud: "teach me to do your will." And wait. Even if it's just one minute of silence before acting. Let God's good Spirit lead your steps onto level ground.

Stay close to God. Pray — then act. I'll see you tomorrow, my friend.