Good morning son,
Okay, it may be
morning when you read this but it is the NEXT morning. See it is
just now striking midnight and I am just sitting down to type this GW
to you. May I put forth my excuses – I went to bed yesterday
morning at about 1 AM. I woke up at 5:45 and started my day. I
sought the Lord and then hurried out the door at 6:35 AM to run our
house guest to the airport in Baltimore. Drove through the snow fall
(sometimes quite heavy) to the airport. Dropped her off. Then
hurriedly drove to the DC metro closest to Baltimore. Parked and
walked what seemed like a mile back in the biting cold to the station
to stand in the cold for 10 minutes waiting on a train. An hour
later I arrive at my destination and then proceed to work 9 hours, to
head back through the cold to the station, for the hour ride back to
the metro station to retrieve my car and begin the 1 hour and 15
minute drive to home . . . well not before I have to make a stop to
help a friend (which he was more than concerned about my being up so
late) and then to the gym to work-out and THEN home. And now this.
And then some more work before my head touches the bed.
Did I make you
feel sorry for me? Well, would you if you knew I have to head out
the door at 6:30AM again tomorrow to start this hectic pace all over
again?
Don't feel sorry
do you? In fact you probably can think of some pretty horrendous
sacrifices of your own. But guess what . . . probably no one knows
or remembers them. Not that they were not true sacrifices. Not that
they did not hurt. Only that they are just not remembered. So how
do we do it?
This morning I
woke up and had my meeting with my commander the Lord Jesus Christ.
I consulted Him as to the day and how it was going to go. I knew it
would be extremely hectic. That I knew. I knew I had little energy
for it of my own. That I also knew. And I knew that all that I had
to do I indeed had to be the one to do it. Not only had the schedule
been prayed over, it really was chucked full of wisdom.
See it was not
wise to have all three persons in the household on the road driving
to BWI to drop off our guest, if something happened on the road no
one would be home who could help, and it only made since that I
travel to Baltimore and then to DC, one clean circle. Not to mention
Momma P and I had prayed about it and thought this was what we were
getting from God to do. As for the metro parking and riding, it
would be of no benefit to the family for me to drive all the way into
DC and risk being late plus pay the exorbitant parking rates. Metro
was the best choice. And working the maximum hours today offered –
well with all I owe, there was no choice there. LOL Getting home,
well that path naturally flowed, going back to the metro, driving
home and on to work out. As for the helping a friend, my best
friend and brother, truth be told I may have gone to my friend to
help him, but I always leave his house refreshed. Just what I needed
to go to the gym. And as to the work out? It was pretty good,
actually the best I have had in a long time. And God knows I need
that!
Psalm 34: 8-10
“Taste and see
that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who see the Lord lack
no good thing.”
Tasting involves
trying something out to see just how it tastes. Tasting and seeing
that the Lord is good involves taking God at His word. See we can
only be blessed when we taste and see – when we take Him at His
word and thereby rely upon Him and not us. In this passage we see a
blessing which comes to us not because we fully believed but simply
because we were willing to try God at His word. We were willing to
trust Him. Have I said it enough yet? That said, in reviewing my
day, all sprinkled through my account of my day there is something
which concerns me, but at the same time it does not. The concern –
the presence of “lack.” That just doesn't seem to fit up with
this passage.
See God's word
commands us to fear Him and then promises that if we do we will lack
nothing. But for me today, it sure seemed like I lacked some stuff.
And doesn't nothing mean nothing? The preacher in me wants to say to
you – “you are looking at the wrong stuff – Peterson, you had
no lack of spiritual blessings.”
Whooptie Do!
Spiritual blessings! Sounds like I may be too heavenly minded to be
any earthly good.
Jesus fed the five
thousand with a spiritual blessing brought into a physical
reality. He met their need for food. Well, while we are looking
at him, Jesus that is, would you not agree that HE definitely feared
the Lord? Right? And yet the scriptures point out the the “Son of
Man” Jesus did not even have a place to lay his head. Well, I
think that that is a definite need don't you? It would seem that God
is a little fickle then. Perhaps he is just talking out of both
sides of his mouth, . . . “God speak with “forked tongue?”
Well, not really.
When you have a moment take a look and see how many times that Jesus
withdraws to rest. I don't think he lacked that at all. He seemed to
have all the power to do everything that He was called to do. He
lacked nothing that was necessary for His mission.
Hmm . . . Did I
lack anything to accomplish my mission, to do what I had to do? Hmm
. . . Indeed what was the one thing I needed to do all that I had to
do today . . . “strength.”
“The lions may
grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack
no good thing.”
“But” is a
word of contrast. Here weak and hungry is contrasted to lack of no
good thing. The strong king of the jungle is shown to be weak and
hungry BUT those who seek the Lord are . . . . what? . . . . strong
and satisfied or full? Is this the no good thing that God provides?
The lion to rule must be strong and satisfied or full. He can not be
weak or hungry. You, my lion cub, like me, also has need of the
strength and the provision of food for us to rule and accomplish our
mission. And God promises that those who seek him will have this,
they will “lack no good thing.”
Look at it. I had
a car to get me to Baltimore. I had a metro card with money on it to
pay for the metro and parking. I had a job to go to to work. I had
a friend to refresh me with His words of encouragement. I have a
body to move. I have a gym membership to go to to work-out. I have
a brain to think and write. What good thing did I lack today . . .?
“Strength.”
Let's back up a
little further. See this morning I sought Him, as the Psalmist
wrote, I was one of those who sought the Lord. And what did he tell
me? This is the passage I opened up to this morning when I sought
Him about the day:
Daniel 10:18-19
“Again the one
who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. “Do not be
afraid Oman highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now,
be strong.” When he spoke to me I was strengthened and said speak
Lord, since you have given me strength.”
This was the word
of the Lord to me this morning. On this touch of the Lord, on
reliance on His word I have lived out this day. I rejoiced. I was
strong. He strengthened me. I was able to say unto the Lord, tell
me what you want me to do . . for you have met my need, I have no
lack of any good thing, you have strengthened me.
And now it is
almost 1AM. I still have a couple of things to do. But God has
strengthened me to do them. God does not lie and He has not spoken
with forked tongue. When we seek Him, when we fear Him we will lack
no good thing.
Tomorrow today
will be a faint memory. What will stand is the Word of God which was
made evident in my body this day. What will stand and live in my
heart is the assurance that He will and has supplied all of my need
as I have feared Him and sought after His word in obedience.
See there is a
reason the sacrifice I did will not be remembered the way I may want
it to be . . . because I did not bear the work alone. He
strengthened me. He gave me all that I had need of. I have no lack.
And when we look back on today we will see no sacrifice of mine to
take notice of.
Do you have lack?
Really, do you? Are you fearing the Lord? Are you walking in
obedience to Him? Are you seeking after His word for your life,
determined that nobody and no thing will prevent you from doing what
He says to do? If not, you have found the reason for the lack.
Fear the Lord. Be
obedient. Seek Him. Trust Him. “Taste and see that the Lord is
good . . .”
Love yah,
dad
PS: Normally
these take me about 2 hours to write . . . tonight 1 hour! “Taste
and see that the Lord, He is good . . .”
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