God, You have been our King for a long time. You bring salvation to the earth. You opened up the springs and streams and made the flowing rivers run dry. Both day and night are Yours. You made the sun and moon. You set all the limits on the earth. You created summer and winter. (Verses 12,15-17)
My beautiful friend, Mary, and I were at lunch yesterday talking about our lives. She has what I have always wanted: a bunch of Ya-Ya sisters. Because Mary has lived in the same area all of her adult life, her family has been intricately woven into the lives of families who also live near the beach. Their kids have grown up together. Mothers and fathers have experienced as a group the ups and downs of life - deaths, divorces, graduations, weddings, feuds and failures, successes and near misses. It's rich in experience. In the process of reminiscing about our friends, we also talked about the ones that, over the years, fell away from us. The one thing that caused us to go on without these friends was that they always seemed to forget the efforts we made to love them. Often unreciprocated, which is fine, but ultimately their sense of entitlement forced us to a place of empty friendship. You just get dried up when you're always on the giving side.
I was rather horrified at the thought this morning that God could feel that way about me. He has cared for me for a long time. Given to me without measure. Loved me when I have been utterly unlovable. Forgiven me when I absolutely didn't deserve it. Saved me from myself and countless pitfalls that pocked my path with danger. Provided for my physical needs. Blessed me with three beyond amazing children and an incomparable husband. Guided me when I've been confused. Stood between me and Satan. Extended such grace to my stubbornness that I can't fathom His patience. All this and more. Add to my God's great personal love for me the evidence of His creation. The intelligence and prescience of a mind well past our ability to adequately dissect. Omnipotent. Omniscient. Omnipresent. God of all. How could we forget Him?
In the same way our friends forget us....or misuse our friendship. He's always there. The never ending fount of abundance for all our needs. When it flows our way, it's possible to take it for granted. Then the moment anything goes wrong, to blame the very waters that quench our thirst for drying up or not rushing quickly enough to our open mouths. Where is God? I need Him now! And if He doesn't get there on our timetable, we blast Him for His reticence. Oops. That is why I let friends go. How must that attitude make my Father feel? Why would He, then, ever draw me close to His heart again?
I am thankful Abba isn't a human as we are. But I know He gave us a heart made in the image of His. He hurts with the same things that hurt us. My God wants me to remember, in the difficult times especially, how faithful He is to me in the good times. To understand His presence and to know His heart in the times when life goes awry. God was very angry with the Israelites in the wilderness for building a golden calf to worship just because Moses stayed on the mountain a little too long for their taste. They had forgotten the plagues and the parting of the seas. Had taken for granted the manna in the wilderness. Guess we'll just have to get through this desert ourselves! Really, now. If you were God, that would make you furious, too!
Next time I am sitting in the hot sand of a desert floor bemoaning my circumstances, I hope I look up instead of in. I want to bless the heart of my Father by saying with this psalmist, "I trust You in this moment because of Your unsurpassing faithfulness to me in all the years You have been my King." May I reciprocate His love and not take it for granted even when there is no prophet in the land.
My beautiful friend, Mary, and I were at lunch yesterday talking about our lives. She has what I have always wanted: a bunch of Ya-Ya sisters. Because Mary has lived in the same area all of her adult life, her family has been intricately woven into the lives of families who also live near the beach. Their kids have grown up together. Mothers and fathers have experienced as a group the ups and downs of life - deaths, divorces, graduations, weddings, feuds and failures, successes and near misses. It's rich in experience. In the process of reminiscing about our friends, we also talked about the ones that, over the years, fell away from us. The one thing that caused us to go on without these friends was that they always seemed to forget the efforts we made to love them. Often unreciprocated, which is fine, but ultimately their sense of entitlement forced us to a place of empty friendship. You just get dried up when you're always on the giving side.
I was rather horrified at the thought this morning that God could feel that way about me. He has cared for me for a long time. Given to me without measure. Loved me when I have been utterly unlovable. Forgiven me when I absolutely didn't deserve it. Saved me from myself and countless pitfalls that pocked my path with danger. Provided for my physical needs. Blessed me with three beyond amazing children and an incomparable husband. Guided me when I've been confused. Stood between me and Satan. Extended such grace to my stubbornness that I can't fathom His patience. All this and more. Add to my God's great personal love for me the evidence of His creation. The intelligence and prescience of a mind well past our ability to adequately dissect. Omnipotent. Omniscient. Omnipresent. God of all. How could we forget Him?
In the same way our friends forget us....or misuse our friendship. He's always there. The never ending fount of abundance for all our needs. When it flows our way, it's possible to take it for granted. Then the moment anything goes wrong, to blame the very waters that quench our thirst for drying up or not rushing quickly enough to our open mouths. Where is God? I need Him now! And if He doesn't get there on our timetable, we blast Him for His reticence. Oops. That is why I let friends go. How must that attitude make my Father feel? Why would He, then, ever draw me close to His heart again?
I am thankful Abba isn't a human as we are. But I know He gave us a heart made in the image of His. He hurts with the same things that hurt us. My God wants me to remember, in the difficult times especially, how faithful He is to me in the good times. To understand His presence and to know His heart in the times when life goes awry. God was very angry with the Israelites in the wilderness for building a golden calf to worship just because Moses stayed on the mountain a little too long for their taste. They had forgotten the plagues and the parting of the seas. Had taken for granted the manna in the wilderness. Guess we'll just have to get through this desert ourselves! Really, now. If you were God, that would make you furious, too!
Next time I am sitting in the hot sand of a desert floor bemoaning my circumstances, I hope I look up instead of in. I want to bless the heart of my Father by saying with this psalmist, "I trust You in this moment because of Your unsurpassing faithfulness to me in all the years You have been my King." May I reciprocate His love and not take it for granted even when there is no prophet in the land.
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