We're planning dinners for the week. I'll be sharing what I cook on Facebook. It seems that there is at least one advantage to being unemployed.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. 17 Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. 18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!
David prays with great intensity. How many people take the time to pray as David did, with such great intensity? "Denial, changing external behaviors, and maintaining proper images are attempted shortcuts to maturity for most people." It's true. How many different avenues have we tried before breaking down and crying out in desperation to God? How many times have we tried to fix it ourselves?
"David refuses to resort to that kind of evasive maneuver. He is facing reality here..."
Notice that, even though David does, at one point, seem to be in a rush, he still, in verse 15, acknowledges God's timing. "At an acceptable time," he says, "...answer me..."
"So often I try to hurry God, or attempt to manipulate Him for my own ends." And don't we all? "When I'm in trouble, I need to pray for His Name to be magnified through my circumstances, in His timing, for the salvation of souls."
(Quotes from A Musician Looks At the Psalms, by Don Wyrtzen)
And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
From Matthew Henry Daily Readings: "Many boast of obedience to the command of God; but what means then their indulgence of the flesh, their love of the world, their angry and unkind spirit, and their neglect of holy duties, which witness against them? See of what evil covetousness is the root; and see what the sinfulness of sin is, and notice that in it which above anything else makes deceitful hearts, like Saul, think to excuse themselves from God's commandments by what pleases themselves. It is hard to convince the children of disobedience. But humble, sincere, and conscientious obedience to the will of God, is more pleasing and acceptable to him than all burnt-offering and sacrifices."
I'm reminded of a song by Steve Camp, "Consider the Cost." "To obey is better than sacrifice/and to hearken than the fat of rams/What will a man give for his own life/houses or money or land/There's a way that seems right to you/but in the end it leads only to death/Come unto him all ye weary/come and find your rest"
Great song, painful words. We all too often claim obedience, but somewhere in the background, there's that "bleating of sheep," and "lowing of cattle," heard by Samuel, that indicate that there was one small piece of God's command that was not obeyed. Well, guess what? Disobeying one small piece equals disobeying it all! Fortunately for us, we are not in the same boat as Saul. We are not bound up in legality. We live by grace through faith. That doesn't mean, however, that we have the freedom to ignore God's commands. We still need to pursue a holy lifestyle. All the sacrifices in the world won't help if we're not living for Jesus. It's kind of like all the revelry that leads up to Lent. "Fat Tuesday," and all that, where people engage in all the sin they can drum up, right before they start giving stuff up, allegedly for God. Seriously? Have we stopped to consider God's perspective on all that? "Hey, God! I'm going to give up (insert whatever) for Lent. But right before that, I'm going to indulge in as much of (insert whatever) as I can stand, so I won't really miss it that much. I'm going to start being holy tomorrow, but I'm going to sin like hell right up to that point." Right. It looks pretty ridiculous when I put it like that, doesn't it?
To obey is better than sacrifice.
I also pray that will not resort to any kind of manipulation to try to get my way with you. My desire is that you have your way with me. Especially in this time of waiting...waiting for a job, I catch myself thinking that if I do these devotions every day, and don't miss any, maybe something good will happen. Forgive me for thoughts like that, Lord. In my spirit, I really don't believe that. I need to have my devotions and prayers. But not for that reason. In fact, for no other reason than to commune with you for a while each day. May my prayers have the same intensity as David's! But, first, I must be as desperate for you as David was. I'm not sure I've ever gotten to that point.
I've seen a good report about Rick Ashley, Lord, and I'm thankful for that. I pray for his continued recovery from his surgery.
Christi is doing well. I pray also for her continued recovery. Every day, she has more mobility. I just pray for more success than the doctors predict. I pray for healing for her knees.
PRAY FOR OUR JUDICIARY
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied a petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed by a Guantanamo Bay detainee, allowing for continued incarceration of the Yemeni national.
The Supreme Court rejected a challenge by school districts and teachers� unions to the No Child Left Behind law,
letting stand a lower court decision that schools must comply even if the federal government doesn�t pay for it.
Pray for our jurists who will stand against �political correctness� in full enforcement of the law.
I would also add a prayer that the No Child Left Behind Law would be repealed. It's worthless. "No Child Left Behind means no child moves forward." I'm just sayin'...
Grace and peace, friends.