SATISFIED!

Image result for GOOGLE CLIP ART SHOWING SATISFIED We hear from David...ole Dave is one of my favorite Bible characters because he is transparent about his love, complaints, and his fears.  One sees little pretense about Dave.  Today, I settle into Psalm 63.  This is another of his psalms while "on the run" but this time from his rebellious Absalom who is attempting to usurp his father's reign. He is hiding in the wilderness of  the Judean desert. 

Dave addresses God, of course, in prayer.  He moves from addressing God as Elohim into very personal terms, my EL.  El is an expression of the name of God which shows Him as strength and power, Almighty.  He professes to God that he seeks him "early", some versions interpret as "earnestly" seeks.  Whichever word, the picture of consistency as a habit of first action.  Hear his words as he describes the views of the brown and dull sterility of the wilderness.  I have experienced the feeling of being in a wilderness spiritually, and I HATE it.  I do understand longing for the Lord when the desperate need does not seem like it will be satisfied.


 As king, David well recalls experiencing God in worship in the Temple.  He has experienced His power and His glory.  David makes an attitude shift as he begins to remember.  David has known the satisfaction of experiencing God intimately in his prayer time. He confesses that God's love is "better than life" because right now, he is experiencing the betrayal of his own son.  In the midst of his painful chaos, he knows that the assurance of God's love is better than even his next breath.  His commitment to El is that he will praise Him and will lift his hands in surrender to Him as he is praising.  I love it that he is moved from looking gloomily about him at the scenery of the wilderness to remember that his soul (mind, will, and emotions) will be satisfied as if he was eating the richest of foods back in his palace.  David states that he prays through the watches of the night: 9:00 pm, 3:00 am, and 6:00 am.  Again the consistency of his habit of praying.  Why does he pray?  "Because you are my help." He can even sing for he is at rest under the protect of "His wings" which is again the picture of the mother bird spreading her wings to protect her vulnerable fledglings.  To further stress his being at rest, he states my mind, will, and emotions cling to YOU and YOUR "right hand" because it is your hand of strength, power, and authority hold me.  He concludes his prayer poem with the assurance that God is in control even over his enemies. 

 I am encouraged as David saw his circumstances, he chose to pray, praise, and worship God rather than focus on the press.1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 , "Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  I hear! Forever learning!  In process, will do instead of just hearing!  #IHAVETHREESONS

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THOSE SEEING CAN BECOME BLIND

Image
John 9 is the story of the healing of the blind beggar.  Not only is it a marvelous story of the miraculous healing of the man as he is given his sight, but a sad story of the religious of whom Jesus said, "For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind ." The religious have seen the miracle, even though it has taken place on a Sabbath, and they interview the man and his parents for their stories and understanding. I find it so thrilling that the healed man speaks so articulately and logically with the religious in their "interview" with him.  His statement, " Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where HE comes from, yet HE opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." What truth he has spoken to the religious wh
Read more

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress
Read more

ORDER AND DESIGN

Image
    I do not have OCD, but I do confess that I like order in my home.  Now that I am retired, I am not so much into spotless, but "picked up" and "kinda" clean. (Do not open drawers and closets!) I might go to more trouble when I know I am having company, but otherwise, I remove the clutter that seems to reproduce on its own.   When I began the reading in Genesis in January, I was again taken with the with the orderliness and design of God in creation, and have seen Him use Moses and Aaron to ORDERLY marshal the Israelites to move out of Egypt. How do you move some 600+ males and that is not even wives and children? Animals also?  They have been one year+ out of Egypt, and have been camped at Mt. Sinai where God has given them laws for their spiritual and physical welfare.  God gives Moses the design of the Tabernacle and Moses is able to bring together the workers to complete the Tabernacle.   The clip art at the top is the positioning of the 12 Tribes and the
Read more