“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” (Psalm 23:6)
Recently I shared from this same psalm as touching walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Today I have a further testimony relating to the favor and grace of God. I am so blessed to be His child. Not that I deserved it (I’ve spoken about that mindset in former posts), but because He so loved me first that I was given the opportunity to choose to accept His free gift of salvation. It seemed like a good idea at the time and I can honestly say I haven’t regretted that choice once.
This particular psalm (which was written by David) is a unique one in the sense that it begins very simple and slowly builds to a crescendo. Think about it: David starts it out by saying that the Lord is His Shepherd and because of that he (David) has no wants. The Shepherd provides everything he needs as long as he simply follows along and stays within the boundaries the Shepherd has established. This is a very basic need of every person – food, shelter, and protection. As the psalm progresses, so does the understanding and relationship depth between the Shepherd and the sheep (the follower, the disciple, the believer), arriving at last at the realization of God’s favor upon his life throughout.
Today I ask you: is God providing your most basic needs? Can you honestly say that He is providing enough food for you, has He provided for you a warm, safe home in which to live, do you feel safe in His care? All of these require a low level of trust and give us the courage and the faith to believe for more. If you have lack in your life, could it be because you are not following the Savior closely enough? Could it be that you are constantly challenging the boundaries He has placed about you? Do you always question His Words of guidance and direction for your life? Do your dreams and goals in life run opposed to what He has called you to be and do? If so, that would be the first thing to correct.
I may get some flack for what I am about to say, but there has been a false teaching (or at least a false insinuation) within the Church for years that lends to the belief that God is our servant, He is our heavenly sugar daddy and we His sugar babies. I remember hearing it for the first time back in the seventies when pastors would say, “Let go and let God.” This teaching swung our pendulum of belief over to spiritual (and physical) laziness – fatness is what the Bible calls it. To put it in today’s vernacular, all we need to do is sit back and allow God to drop bags of money from the sky into our laps. This line of thought led us to believe that we are free to sit about the house watching TV and eating bon-bons while God provided for us free housing, free food, and free medical and dental. We, according to this teaching, were not expected to do anything. WRONG!
Think back to the Garden of Eden – the most perfect relationship between God and mankind. Adam and Eve were given dominion over the earth in exchange for all their needs being met. In our minds all we see is Adam and Eve strolling around through the Garden much like we do Grant’s Farm or a botanical garden, but that is far from the truth. God told Adam and Eve to tend the Garden – to work it, to trim it, to care for it. All throughout scripture mankind was expected to perform certain duties concurrent to their spiritual lives much like we Christians are expected to today. For example, I work to earn money to provide for my needs, but I also am expected to be salt and light at work and with the people with whom I come into contact. We are to be an example of God at work (both professionally and personally) in the world. He is not our heavenly State Aid agent or benefits advisor. Never has been, never will.
All throughout scripture we read that God commands His blessing upon His people. Now I understand disability (being a disabled veteran myself) and I understand physical restrictions. I am not heartless; however, I refer back to my initial set of questions. Could it be that we are not seeing His goodness and blessing on our lives because we have allowed ourselves to be misplaced? We have somehow missed the calling of God on our lives and settled for second-best. I firmly believe that God has called some to be professional basketball players, others football players, some doctors, some attorneys, some business people, some salesmen and women, some retail workers, others are called to be factory workers or truck drivers. He has gifted each of us in some way, to be His hands extended into every area of human endeavor. I have met Spirit-filled truck drivers, I have met solid Christian salespeople, I have met born-again professionals in all walks of life. God can’t (nor can we) expect the lost to wander in off the streets randomly into our churches to find the answers they seek. Satan has them blinded in that area. Instead, we have been called to go forth into all the world preaching (living, telling, showing) the gospel. As we go and live out the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ in our lives and in our communities, we will find that it “works” in every situation. Oddly enough, those around us will also come to the same conclusion and want to know more. Therein God will command His blessing upon us – by our obedience and by our love.
I challenge you today, my friend, to evaluate your present condition. If you are living in want, if you are unsatisfied in your present condition, if you are displeased with your job situation, if you feel empty – present yourself before your heavenly Father and ask Him to show you what is missing/wrong. Allow Him the privilege and time to speak into your heart. Then – DO IT. At first it may feel like you are stepping down or backwards, but I can tell you from experience that once you begin this new walking and talking with God daily in your life, you will experience His mercy, grace, and blessing in a new and wonderful way. I can honestly say that “surely goodness and blessing shall follow ME all the days of my life and I will (choose, desire) to live in the house of the Lord forever.” So may your declaration be.
Be blessed.
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