So, I decided...

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26)

So, I decided...these three words can get us into so much trouble at times, can't they? When we lean into our own wisdom or selfish inner drive, we often 'decide' upon things that aren't all that great for us. We pursue things or 'objectives' that are bound to cause us difficulties, but we just don't know it yet. When we lean into God's wisdom, we find our 'deciding' takes us down a different path. We don't always know what it is we are 'deciding' to pursue when we set out on this course of obedience with God, but we can rest assured that the path isn't going to lead us into stuff that will bring us harm or destruction.

The pleasures we enjoy all come from the hand of God - even those we think we have 'produced' by our pursuits in life. He gives us all we are blessed to enjoy and takes us through all that seems hard to find joy within. We aren't going to always understand his ways, with his plans seemingly a little too 'vague' for our liking at times. We don't have to understand to follow - it is in following that we come into understanding. The moment we 'decide' to be obedient is the moment everything within us will cringe just a bit. Why is that? Our own 'objectives' are not always going to be pursued, and we rankle a bit when we have to go another way. 

God knows the struggle is real. He knows we want things to be 'easy', 'smooth sailing' all the way. We want instant gratification. We pursue things we hope will bring us that gratification but have very little awareness of just how much that 'instant gratification' will cost us down the road. I have suffered 'buyer's remorse' on more than one occasion. I can remember the excitement of getting that thing I wanted so badly, only to realize it would not fill my 'enjoyment tank' for very long. If we are to 'decide' to follow Jesus, we might just realize that our 'enjoyment tank' might be filled with a different kind of 'fuel' than we'd think it needed. God knows the very 'fuel' our tank requires, and he provides it even before we 'decide' to allow him to fill it. Just sayin!

Open, Open, Open!

 God, the one and only— I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I’m set for life. (Psalm 62:1)

How many times have we found it hard to wait for God's timing in our lives? The more we wait, the harder it seems to await whatever it is we are waiting on. Unable to wait longer, we can jump ahead of his timing, bringing disaster to bear in our lives. Been there, done that, and even wore out the t-shirt! Our psalmist puts things in perspective for those of us who have had to wait a little longer than we might have liked: "Everything I need comes from - so why not wait"? He is our solid rock - a firm foundation upon which we can base our trust. He gives us a chance to rest in him - breathing room for our souls, so we don't jump ahead of him. He is that impregnable castle - a word picture for not only the capability he has to keep us in our times of waiting, but a vast place for us to explore more and more of him as we do.

Yet, if you are like me, your soul doesn't exactly want to 'rest' at times - your mind gets you going and your emotions have you in a twisted bundle of worries. So, you plan how you can 'speed things up' a little, don't you? Or am I the only one who jumps ahead? While the foundation upon which we place our trust is reliable, we sometimes step a little too close to the edge of that trust, letting go of it piece by piece because we have allowed something to disturb our peace in the midst of the waiting. Usually we can overcome that disturbance, but allowed to steep a little and that brewing discontent can cause us to launch out on our own.

It is a hard lesson to appreciate - everything we need comes from God and he has already made provision. Think for a moment about your next meal. If you pantry or refrigerator is a little low, you probably plan a trip to the grocer. You do so because you have formed a habit of trusting the grocer to have what it is you require for that next meal - a provision storehouse of sorts. If we can trust our local grocer to be a provision storehouse, why do we have such a hard time trusting God to be the one who will make provision for all we need? His storehouse is vaster than any grocer's; his resources are innumerable and are continually being refreshed. Our psalmist appreciated this fact - God has everything we need, opening up his storehouses to meet those very needs - in his timing and according to his purposes.

Do you go to the grocer 'after-hours' when the business is shut down and count on getting groceries? No - you know the business hours and you venture there during those set hours. If we can abide by the timing of these physical business that act as storehouses for our needs, why do we find it hard to wait on the timing of our God? We wait on the timing of our grocer - so why not wait on God's perfect timing to open up those storehouse of his grace and provision? Just askin!

A barren place

 God—you’re my God! I can’t get enough of you! I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. (Psalm 63:1)

Why do we find ourselves in the desert places anyway? If you are like me, you chose to live in one! If we wanted to wax a little philosophical this morning, we could all say we get ourselves into some pretty 'dry and barren' places at times? Those dry and barren places are likely a result of our choices - yup - I've gone meddling again. Here's the thing I want us to consider today - do we get hungry and thirsty when we are in a place of ample nourishment and quenching? Not likely! We get the hungriest when there is no food in sight, and the thirstiest when our demand for fluids is not met with an equal provision of the refreshing stuff. It is in the dry and weary deserts where we find we have a need or two that honestly cannot be met any other way than by God's provision.

When we are in the lush valleys, green meadows, and high mountain tops of life experiences, do we think much about how hungry or thirsty we are? Not really. Why? We are too busy enjoying ourselves to notice our hunger or thirst. How many can honestly say they enjoy the dry and barren places as much as they do the more lush ones? If you are a desert rat like me, you find enjoyment combing the dry desert floor, but trust me when I say this - looking out over the rim of the forests up north is pretty breath-taking and a refreshing time. We need both, but I think the places that help us grow more are those that aren't always that 'lush'. The barrenness drives us to find provision - to seek it like our lives depend upon it - because they actually do!

Barrenness is not always the absence of life - it could be the absence of life as we want to see it. Now I have really gone meddling, haven't I? If my mother were still on this earth, you could ask her if a barren womb meant an absence of life. She'd tell you absolutely not - because God brought three kiddos into her life at a time when we needed her the most. Were we born from her barren womb? No, but that 'barrenness' drove her to us. There was no absence of life - there was life as God intended it for her (and for us). God isn't always going to give us the mountaintop experiences in life because he knows we need to sense a little barrenness from time to time in order to cause us to look outside of our circumstances. The hunger and thirst created when this happens actually helps us fall deeper in love with him and so much more appreciative of his tremendous grace in our lives. Just sayin!

What is in the house?

What is a break-through? We hear that terms a lot of the time, but we don't always know how to define it in our particular circumstance. For example, if we need a 'financial break-through', we may say we need to be out from under some oppressive debt. If we need a 'physical break-through', we may say we need to be healed of a life-altering disease. These are easier 'break-through' types to define, but there are a whole lot of emotional, spiritual, and even relational break-through moments that we don't always know how to define. They are a little more elusive because they really rely upon us being open and honest about things. Sometimes we just need to acknowledge what we have, then allow God to do what he will do with what we have - then in some way God allows a break-through.

Now the wife of the son of one of the men who tell what will happen in the future cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead. You know that your servant honored the Lord with fear. But the man to whom he owed money has come to take my two children to make them serve him.” Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your woman servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go around and get jars from all your neighbors. Get empty jars, many of them. Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour the oil into all these jars, and set aside each one that is full.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They took the jars to her, and she poured. When the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another jar.” And he said to her, “There is not one jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go and sell the oil and pay what you owe. You and your sons can live on the rest.”(2 Kings 4:1-7)

The woman needed help. Her issue was a time of great loss - her husband was now gone, she was powerless to take care of her son. The widow thought she had absolutely nothing at all at her disposal. She saw no way out of her present circumstances. One simple question changes is all - "What do you have in the house?" That may not seem like a significant question, but whenever God asks us what we have to bring to the table, he isn't just asking for the heck of it. He is asking so we will begin to take inventory - to see that even a little in his hands is much more than we would have ever imagined possible. The oil seemed like it was just 'a little bit' - a totally insignificant thing that she would have otherwise have just overlooked.

When we begin to respond to the challenge of 'what is is we have', we begin to make an investment into the solution. It may not seem like much, but remember that the skills, talents, and abilities we have, the people we have in our lives, the ideas we create in our minds, and even our time is really a huge deal when it is submitted to God for his multiplication and use. What God uses, he multiplies! The enemy of our soul would have us discount what we see as 'insignificant' or 'not really all that important' so that we miss out on the provision. God starts with what seems like a little bit and then he looks for us to be obedient to what he asks us to do with that 'little bit'.

What we discount what we have as useless or worthless, we stop God's provision in our lives. God's provision isn't going to come without some steps of obedience on our part. The first step toward obedience may be to actually stop discounting what it is we have or can do. We might think provision comes only in miraculous ways - but God sees the beginning of all 'miracles' as a ready and yielded heart! The widow had to cry out - she didn't know what to do - but when she received the instruction to gather the jars, it probably did not make sense at first. But...she set out and did it! She gathered the jars and then what we see next is that God used what she had to not only provide for the present need, but to make ongoing provision for the future! God isn't stingy when we bring our 'present little bit' to bear on the circumstances - he makes a way beyond our vision! Just sayin!

No dime store provisions here

Then he said to all, “Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me! Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it; and what profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one’s self? (Luke 9:23-25 TLB)

A few years ago, I had the privilege of being given access to some very expensive tools through an estate sale situation. Prior to this offering, I had a couple of power tools inherited from dad, or some that I had picked up along the way when the need arose. They were inexpensive ones and 'did the job' such as drilling a hole or sanding a rough spot out of some wood, but they were definitely not high quality tools. My neighbor was a professional woodworker, having both a small shop in his backyard and a much larger one for his business venture in town. The chance to pick up some very nice tools at a ridiculously low price was amazing and I jumped on the opportunity. You might have guessed it - those 'inferior' tools from my earlier acquisitions paled in comparison to the Dewalt or Rigid tool brands he had acquired and were now becoming mine. I no longer had a use for the older tools and soon parted with them - because I had something of a much higher quality at my disposal! I wonder if we hold onto things from our past lives that are inferior in quality just because we are unwilling to part with them? If we would just realize the 'caliber' of life we have been given, I think we might be less likely to 'hold on so tightly' to those habits, behaviors, and desires that aren't quite of the same "caliber'!

There are indeed desires best left behind as we step into this life with Jesus - but there are others we just don't realize are 'inferior' until we really take time to get to know what he has provided for our enjoyment in this new life with him. We have to actually take time to get to know him and understand how he works - seeing what he offers in light of what we once possessed. As we begin to appreciate the magnificence of what he offers, the desires we once held so dear begin to pale in comparison! We find ourselves actually considering letting go of those things which 'served a purpose', but are no longer of the same importance to us because we have been given something of a much higher 'caliber' in place of those things. When I first acquired all those tools, I parted them out between my two children and kept some for myself. I had no workshop and limited garage space, so incorporating a whole workshop of tools into my 'space' was difficult. In fact, I didn't even know some of the things those tools would do until now! They occupied space in my shed, but now they are available to me because I have made a space for them in a workshop. Oftentimes we need to 'make space' for the things Christ has provided for our use and enjoyment in life. We have to discover their value - but it isn't apparent to us until we actually make that space for them!

Making space for these things Christ has prepared for us is something we do over time. We don't know the half of what he has provided, but as we begin to open those treasures, we find there are indeed huge treasures of much more value than we once thought possible in our lives. We might not even fully appreciate their value when we first discover their presence - but when we allow those provisions to be put into use, we begin to appreciate how much life is enriched because we have these provisions at our disposal. Provisions such as immeasurable peace in the midst of all manner of anguish and hardship. Or that of unlimited grace that helps us be kind even when the natural desire to respond kindly wouldn't be there. We don't possess these things outside of Christ, but we oftentimes don't appreciate their presence in our lives until we make space for these provisions to be put into full use. To make space, we eliminate what once we held onto as those things by which we 'made do' in life. Those habits and behaviors that helped us 'get by', but which really lacked the same quality or caliber of excellence as the privilege and provision he makes available might have served us well at one time, but they won't serve us well over the long haul. We need to embrace what Christ offers, but to do so, we lay down what once we held onto and embrace what he has provided. Just sayin!

I'm hungry again!

Jesus replied, “I am the Bread of Life. No one coming to me will ever be hungry again. Those believing in me will never thirst." (John 6:35 TLB)

What makes you hungry? As I catch the fragrant aroma of baking cookies or fresh bread, I get hungry! Walk into the putrid smell of old pine cleaner in a musty bathroom and that appetite just takes a hit in the old nostrils! It is amazing how we can be so hungry one moment and then have that hunger almost turn to a sour stomach in such a short period of time. How it is that happens? In the natural sense, hunger is made up of many 'senses' - smell, taste, texture, not to mention hormones triggering the desire to eat, etc. We can realize tremendous hunger, and then there are times we can ignore that hunger to the point it becomes a devastating thing to our physical bodies. In a spiritual sense, it is possible to ignore hunger so long we just don't realize we are becoming malnourished!

Hunger is satisfied as we partake - plain and simple. We can "sense" all the goodness awaiting us, but until we partake of what has been graciously provided for us, there is no hope our hunger will ever provide nourishment for our souls and spirits. If we want to experience provision, we have to allow it to actually work into our lives as it is intended. I can stare at food on a plate for a long, long time (and I did as a young child when those veggies didn't look all that appealing to me). It doesn't change the "provision" on the plate. The moment I take in even the tiniest portion of the provision is when I begin to experience the benefit of the provision. 

Wouldn't it be silly to have a feast specially prepared for us and then stop right after the appetizer? Or just take one bite of each portion on the plate and say we have "experienced it all"? The feast would still be a feast - our desire to be "filled" might just not be there! God looks for us to have a desire to be continually filled, but he allows us to experience a little bit of this thing known as "hunger" because hunger can be a great driving force to bring us into the place of provision! 

God has provided beyond our wildest dreams - we just need to recognize that hunger he allows to develop within us is to be met with the provision he makes! We might want to find our own provisions from time to time, but I know some of the best meals I have experienced are those others have prepared for me with great love and dedication to get it "just right" for me. If others can do this for me in the natural sense, isn't it silly that I'd think God wouldn't do it on a ten-fold or a hundred-fold grander scheme? The hunger for righteousness isn't going to be filled at any other "table", my friend. It is meant to be filled at his table. Just sayin!

Cover me!

To take refuge, one must move into what has been provided as "cover".  In the terms of a hunter, they set up a small tent of sorts, creating an illusion of "belonging" in the surroundings.  The illusion is meant to fool those animals who frequent the area, giving them a sense of security, but not alerting them to the intruders in their midst.  God's refuge is unlike that of the hunters - for it is never an illusion, never meant to trick, and does not disguise those who would attempt to intrude upon its security.  Yet his refuge is a place of "cover" for those who avail themselves of it.  Not a place to "duck and cover", but a place of protective covering, free of worry and harassment. 

But you’ll welcome us with open arms when we run for cover to you.  Let the party last all night!  Stand guard over our celebration.  You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers, for decking us out in delight. (Psalm 5:11-12 MSG)

Some things we need to know about God's refuge:

- It is a place where we are welcomed with open arms.  God doesn't hold out on us, or hold back on welcoming us in.  If you are like me, you have one of those little peep holes in your front door.  Whenever someone comes to the door, I have the opportunity to "screen" my visitors to see if I want to open the door to them.  This little security device is handy not only to protect me, but to keep me from opening doors to all those people who come around to hock their wares!  I don't think God's door has a peep hole because "screening" those who might seek refuge is just not in keeping with his character.  Those who run to him are received with open arms - welcomed without limit into his presence.  

- It is a place we can go for "cover".  There are times we just need to "hide away" - not so much because we have done something wrong, but because we just need a place to regroup and rest.  It is a place of "rehabilitation" for us when we are worn to a fray.  It is more than a place to "evade" an attack - it is a place to gain strength and wisdom for the upcoming invasion attempt! Too many times, I think we view God's place of refuge as a place to escape to in order to avoid being taken down.  This is definitely one of the meanings of God's refuge, but it is not the only one.  His refuge is a place of "action" as much as it is a place of "rest" - for we gain insight into the counter-attack we need to wage against the weapons formed against us!

- It is a place of celebration.  Now, not many "run for cover" in order to "celebrate" anything!  In fact, when we see ourselves running for cover, it is usually because we are trying to escape something.  We need to reconsider this thought - for it is not us "escaping something", but us "escaping into someone".  We move from a place of handling life on our own into a place of allowing God to envelope us in his tender-graces until we are wise with his wisdom, strong with his strength, and enabled with his ability to stand against all life is sending our way.  That gives us cause to celebrate!

In a more literal sense, "cover" is the counter-attack someone wages in order to take the pressure off of you so you can reach a place of safety.  God's refuge stands open to receive us and he "covers" us with all we need in order to arrive safely in his arms.  God's refuge is a place of both protection and provision.  Run into it and experience all he has awaiting you there.  You won't find yourselves disappointed by his welcome, his provision, or his preparation.  Just sayin!

Another wilderness journey?

Have you ever really considered the lessons you have learned because of the experience of another?  You know, the stuff you just never really explore because you see how the exploration of another left them kind of unfulfilled, reasonably sane, but just so not excited about their experience?  Well, I think this is all part of God's plan for us in life - to learn from the experiences of those who go before us.  The first astronaut into space paved the way for all the others who came behind.  The first one to fly above the earth had a whole lot of failures before there was truly lift-off.  The experiences of the first made an example of both what not to do and what to do in the midst of the experiences of the many who followed.  I think the same is true in our spiritual lives - we learn a great deal about what not to do and what really is the best path for us simply by looking at those who've gone before us.

When God, your God, ushers you into the land he promised through your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you, you’re going to walk into large, bustling cities you didn’t build, well-furnished houses you didn’t buy, come upon wells you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive orchards you didn’t plant. When you take it all in and settle down, pleased and content, make sure you don’t forget how you got there—God brought you out of slavery in Egypt.  (Deuteronomy 6:10-12 MSG)

Egypt was a place of barrenness for Israel.  When they came out of Egypt, they were "high" on the promises of great provision and purpose.  I imagine they never expected to face the barrenness of the wilderness in between their deliverance from Egypt and their entrance into the Promised Land!  Most of us never really expect any barrenness - any wilderness experiences - along the way in our spiritual lives.  I think we hope for life to let us get a "buy" on some of the challenges others have faced.  I think we do get a "buy" on occasion - simply because we learn from those who go before us.  Yet, there are times when we just find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the wilderness, wondering why we are experiencing such barrenness in our lives. In those moments, remember this - to move from promise to provision we will likely face a few problems along the way - the biggest of which is our unbelief.

Think about this - would you ever begin a journey if there was no promise of something at the end of that journey?  Not likely!  You'd probably just remain in your contented little world, as bad as it may be, without ever moving forward.  It is the disturbance of our peacefulness in our present circumstances which actually makes us hope for the promise of something different on the "other side".  Between the promise and the realization of the provision we face problems.  Problems are a way of life - they are God's opportunities to reveal himself strong in our lives, but they are also his opportunities to reveal where it is we are leaning on our own strength to just "get by".  In between the place of our bondage and our provision we will encounter a whole lot of testing.  Testing is really what occurs in the wilderness experience.  In the wilderness, God has the chance to show us who and what it is we really rely upon for the provision which is promised!

One thing I don't think we realize is the leading which brings us into the wilderness.  You know, Israel did not end up in the wilderness because they took a wrong turn!  God brought them there!  They left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, came across and found themselves smack dab in the midst of the wilderness.  Between their deliverance and their provision, God led them into the wilderness.  Now, they chose how long they'd stay in the wilderness, but God was the one leading them into it.  This should give us some hope because I think most of us think we are in the wilderness by our own doing. It is quite the opposite - God brought us into it, he goes with us through it, and he will lead us out of it.  The only thing we have control over is how long we need to stay in it!

Most of us fail to recognize the wilderness is not about our comfort - if we wanted to be comfortable we would have never left what was familiar to us. The wilderness is about our character - for it is in the midst of moments of decision that our choices are refined.  You know, an oak tree grows over the course of a man's lifetime.  A weed only takes a matter of a few days to reach its maturity!  I don't know about you, but an oak tree appeals to me a whole lot more than a huge weed!  Maybe we'd resist the wilderness a little less if we realized the Lord is just after the oak he sees in us!  We want the fast fix. God wants the permanent fix!  We want the quick provision.  God wants to prepare us for the provision.  Guess what?  We never get to the provision until we have learned the lessons of the wilderness.  Think of the wilderness as God's refining ground - his proving ground.  It is there where our motives are uncovered and our true identity is discovered.  

If we begin to see the wilderness as a time of taking us from promise to provision - we might just begin to understand the middle part - process. Nothing good in life ever comes without the evidence of some type of process. Cookies in the jar are a result of someone following a process to actually bake those cookies.  They follow a recipe - what someone who has gone before them has learned.  In following the recipe, they prepare the batch of cookies and take them through the process of baking.  The right ingredients are a result of someone making a whole lot of trial and error decisions.  The right baking time is a result of someone determining how "done" cookies look and feel.  The enjoyment of the cookie is a result of the process.  We have a whole lot of examples of those who have experimented with the right ingredients and the proper amount of "cooking" time, don't we?  

We often want to experiment with our own "recipes" and wonder why we don't get the results another has experienced.  Guess what?  A good recipe is worth following!  The wilderness experience is pretty well "charted" by those who have gone before us.  We see the process of the wilderness if we look closely. There is the response to the promise - we get out of our place of contentment.  Then there is the walk toward provision - we take some first steps.  In the next how ever many moments, there is a whole lot of clarifying of our purpose.  The wilderness is the time of "clarifying" - getting things in right order in our lives.  Good news - we don't go into the wilderness alone, we don't walk through it alone, and we won't come out of it alone!  God goes with us!  So, instead of cursing the wilderness, you might just begin to realize between every promise and its provision comes a time of purposeful growth. God is after the oak in us - the wilderness really helps bring out the strength of the oak!  Just sayin!

Honest prayer yields God's bounty

Bountiful:  liberally, generously, or abundantly; providing or having ample supply.  When I look at my bank account, I hope to see "ample" supply for every purchase I need to make - don't you?  When I examine the contents of the pantry, I want to see an abundance of the "good stuff" which seems to satisfy both my cravings and my hunger.  When I am down in the dumps, I call upon God's generous grace because I know it will be what pulls me to my feet again.  When God "deals" with me, I want him to do it with liberal grace, generous love, and abundant power.  How about you?

Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live; and I will observe Your word [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it].  (Psalm 119:17 AMP)

Here our psalmist begins this section of our psalm with the intention of God's "dealing" with him - so he may observe God's word.  In other words, he doesn't expect God to deal with him so he can continue to live in his own way, but so his way will align with God's.  It is interesting to me to see David asking God to "deal" with him "bountifully".  I don't know about you, but I think David is just praying honestly here.  He doesn't want God's second-best, or a meager supply of God's grace, love, or power.  He wants it all and he wants it in abundance!  All I can say is we ALL probably want God to "deal" with us in this exact same manner - but most of the time we don't even ask for God's "bounty", do we?  

Why do you think this is?  It might be because we don't think our "great big God" would hear such a prayer, or maybe it is that we don't feel "worthy" of asking for God's bounty because we don't see our extreme worth in his eyes.  The truth is God loves to hear us ask for his bounty - especially when it comes to "dealing" with us.  When action needs to be taken in our lives, God's bounty is at our disposal, we just don't think to ask for it.  I want to challenge us today to begin to pray as David did - for God to "deal" bountifully with us as his servants.  It is a step of faith for some of us, but if we actually begin to ask for God to deal with our lives out of his bounty, I wonder what the outcome might be?  Do you know what it means to "deal with"?  It means to handle competently or successfully.  David's prayer was simply to ask God to handle what he was not so good at handling himself.  Maybe this is the crux of the prayer - coming to the place where we admit God can do a much better job than we could ever do!

David's prayer is purposeful - that he may live!  Not just breathing in and out, but enjoying every breath because it is orchestrated by one who competently and purposefully arranges each step.  In asking God to deal with his live out of his abundance, David says his part in the process will be the ability to observe God's Word.  Now, this is probably a major part of this prayer - don't ya think?  He is really saying, "God, I haven't done a great job with things on my own.  I keep getting things messed up.  I speak when I should be silent.  I jump when I should stand still.  I need you to show me how to conduct myself here and now.  I know the way to change is contained in your Word.  I don't always get what is contained in its pages, but I know if I ask you, it will be opened to me.  In turn, I will be able to actually hear it in the recesses of my heart - the place of my greatest struggles.  When my heart becomes affected by your Word, I know my actions will be changed.  So, deal with me out of your abundance, in a generous manner, and with all liberality, God."

I am not trying to rewrite scripture here, but I think if you read Psalm 119 and take this one verse in context, you will see I am not far off in this interpretation.  David is determined to live right - to make right choices, to see right actions produced.  He says it comes in God intervening in his life - in a bountiful manner - so he will not only hear, but receive; in receiving, he will begin to love what is given; and in turn, he chooses to walk in this newness of life.  See the progression?  We first hear - we are informed - given the steps.  Then we begin to receive - it becomes more than just instruction - it becomes that which will sustain us each step we take.  As we begin to step out in what God provides, we begin to sense something of his presence which surrounds us - his love in action.  In the end, we realize we have received abundant grace - the basis of change in our lives - the foundation of the steps we take toward obedience each day.

As we walk this earth, we will struggle with things way beyond our ability to deal with in a competent manner.  We may try, but we will ultimately fall short of "dealing with" these things as God would have us.  So, wouldn't it make sense to begin to pray as David did so many years ago?  To ask God to deal with us bountifully - not just to point us in the direction we should go, but to prepare all we need to get us to the place of obedient surrender.  Just sayin!

And the hunt is on!

I love this psalm of David because of the sincerity of heart I see expressed in each stanza.  Here we find thoughts such as God lifts us out of the deep ditches, the sticky places, or what it is like when we come to see the world as a huge stockpile of God-wonders.  Eyes open, heart eager to respond, thoughts turned to God - David stands ready for God's intervention.  Yet, the most truthful words of this psalm are about in the middle - where David calls out to God to deal with his amassed guilt - the very guilt he had accumulated through many wrong choices.  He describes his condition of spirit and soul:  "I was so swamped by guilt I couldn’t see my way clear.  More guilt in my heart than hair on my head, so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out."  (vs. 12)  Not knowing about you all I can do is account for my own realization of having stood exactly where David stood that day - bogged down in the mire of my wrong choices, stuck squarely in the middle of my mess.  In the realization of where I had ended up, my soul was consumed by such guilt, it almost felt like my heart would indeed give out.  The good news is God specializes in "unsticking" our stuck feet - we are not "stuck" to our sin, nor its guilt and shame - we are free in him!

But all who are hunting for you—oh, let them sing and be happy.  Let those who know what you’re all about tell the world you’re great and not quitting.  And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing: make something of me.  You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—but God, don’t put it off.  (Psalm 40:16-17 MSG)

I like the analogy of "hunting for" God.  My brother is an accomplished hunter, while I am more of a hunter of a good bargain at the grocery store!  My brother has all kinds of skill as a hunter - able to secure much in the way of resources for his household through his skill.  So, I wanted to turn today to some lessons from what I have heard my brother describe as some of the tactics and skills of a hunter.

* He knows what he wants to find.  If he has no interest in hunting for a particular species of animal or fowl this season, he doesn't "put in" for the tags to go on the hunt.  In other words, he has a design in his hunting - an object of his desire.  God always honors the man or woman who makes him the object of their desire!  Knowing what or who it is we want in this "hunt" is the first step in being on the right track to find what it is we are "hunting".

* He knows finding requires some preparation.  He secures the right ammunition, the correct size of weapon, etc.  Most important to his preparation is in listening to other hunters.  He finds out much from his interactions with them such as where the object of his desire has been found and what seems to be the type of "intake" they are feasting on.  This gives him a heads up to where he will begin to look - so he is not wasting his time looking where they will not be found.  Knowing what they are "feasting" upon gives him a pretty good idea of where to find them - since he has explored much of the forest and desert lands in our state, he knows well where to find these "feasting" areas.  I don't think things are much different in our pursuit of God - he "feasts" on certain things like the honesty of a heart, the reach of an empty hand, or the tears of a grieving soul.  He can always be found in the midst of our need.  His location is not as unpredictable as some may think - for he is consistently in exactly the same location!

* He scouts for the object of his desire.  What amazes me most is the work my brother has to go to weeks ahead of the hunt - not to obtain the object of the hunt during those early trips, but to become familiar with it.  He goes out, scouting for the object of his focus.  Scouting is nothing more than observing. In these moments, my brother is getting familiar with the paths the object of his hunt travels.  He looks for signs of their places of rest, their paths of travel, and their points of feeding.  Why?  He knows in taking time to get to know these traits, he will become familiar with the object of his hunting.  Here we find the secret of a heart after God - in taking the time to become familiar with the object of our attention he becomes the object of our affection.

* He is rewarded for his work.  No hunter likes to return home empty-handed. If you have prepared well, becoming so familiar with the places the object of your hunt frequents, you should never return with nothing.  God is the God of plenty - not the God of emptiness.  The "work" of seeking the object of his hunt "pays off" in the bounty he is rewarded with.  I don't know what you may think, but I believe the purpose of the hunt was not the "sport" of the hunt, but the "bounty" of the hunt.  It is in the "bounty" that he receives the needs of his home are met.  It is in the "bounty" of God's provision of love, hope, healing, forgiveness, and grace that our hearts are filled to overflowing.

I may not hunt for the furry or feathered creatures of this earth, but my heart is steadfast in its pursuit of the one who gives me "bounty" beyond my ability to fully contain it.  I hope you are along with me on this "hunt".  Just sayin!