Then He brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among His tribes who stumbled. Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night. They asked, and He brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. He opened the rock and water gushed out. It flowed through the desert like a river. For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham, His servant. So He brought His people out with joy, His chosen ones with singing. And He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil that they might keep His statutes and observe His laws. Praise the Lord!
(Verses 37-45)
Selective memory. My first thought when I read these verses this morning. Where was all the complaining about why they were stuck in the desert? Israel moaned and groaned that all they had to eat was manna...where was the beef? God rained down quail because of their harping on what they didn't have. Moses struck the rock because his flock almost stoned him because they were so thirsty. So water gushed into a desert that seemed devoid of it. Flooded the sandy feet of a million sojourners.
But this psalm is about God, not about us. It's about His faithfulness to us on our journeys, not about our crabbing at Him every step of the way. Our deliverance from the power this world used to have over us is initially pure joy. I remember the inception of the love affair I embarked upon with Jesus. Waving good-bye to the devil with my little newborn hand as my Savior carried me against His chest into new life. Saying good-bye to the Egypt of my oppression with the delight of one who escapes a near death experience. It was all singing and dancing back then. My honeymoon with my Beloved. Jesus knew I wasn't able yet to walk as a Christian, so He carried me a while. Bent to show me the wonders of the new path, stopping to smell the flowers and teaching me about the Father. Then one day, Jesus gently set me down to take some wobbly steps on my own. Unsure, I constantly reached to Him for reassurance and support. But His desire is for me to grow up and trust. To know Him well enough that I'm confident of His love when He seems far. To know His voice, the cut of His eyes, the intentions of His heart. My Father wants me to look like a kid of His...and act like one, too.
With my selective memory I could tell you about my journey from six years of age to today. That it was all joy and obedience. You know that wouldn't be the whole story, and if it were, I'd be so out of touch with the rest of the family of God as to be taken up into heaven immediately. But what I can attest to, just as the psalmist is, is that my God has always, ever been faithful to His covenant with me. Though I'm faithless, He is faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). I love Him because He first loved me, and gave Himself up for me. Lest I sugar coat His experience with me, let me just say He's put up with more than I could stomach. So, why does my God keep providing and guiding? Because He made a promise to me He intends to keep in spite of me. Because God has a road I'm to walk, a desert I'm to traverse, a Canaan He's prepared to lead me to and He's committed to put up with me until I get there.
This has changed me. Who loves me like that? Only Jesus. When I think of how patient He is, it stills my waves. Makes me try harder with others...and myself. When I think of what He's trudged through to get me out of my messes, it makes me think before I go gallivanting off on my own now. I've come round Mt. Sinai a thousand times in my God's efforts to take me into His promises for me. Trying to learn the lesson one more time. Until it sticks and I can go forward. So I don't want to tell you about all the things my Father's done for me without you realizing what it cost Him to pour out quail or open my mouth to living water. Everything. That's what He paid for the privilege of loving me. It's what I want to give back. Everything. Reciprocate prodigal love, seemingly wasted on a child prone to wander. Magnificent, holy, omnipotent God stooping to make us know Him. Answering our whims, putting up with our complaints, digging us out of our pits, and rescuing us from our choices. Yep. Don't leave out the part where we don't measure up. That is the wonder of His love.
(Verses 37-45)
Selective memory. My first thought when I read these verses this morning. Where was all the complaining about why they were stuck in the desert? Israel moaned and groaned that all they had to eat was manna...where was the beef? God rained down quail because of their harping on what they didn't have. Moses struck the rock because his flock almost stoned him because they were so thirsty. So water gushed into a desert that seemed devoid of it. Flooded the sandy feet of a million sojourners.
But this psalm is about God, not about us. It's about His faithfulness to us on our journeys, not about our crabbing at Him every step of the way. Our deliverance from the power this world used to have over us is initially pure joy. I remember the inception of the love affair I embarked upon with Jesus. Waving good-bye to the devil with my little newborn hand as my Savior carried me against His chest into new life. Saying good-bye to the Egypt of my oppression with the delight of one who escapes a near death experience. It was all singing and dancing back then. My honeymoon with my Beloved. Jesus knew I wasn't able yet to walk as a Christian, so He carried me a while. Bent to show me the wonders of the new path, stopping to smell the flowers and teaching me about the Father. Then one day, Jesus gently set me down to take some wobbly steps on my own. Unsure, I constantly reached to Him for reassurance and support. But His desire is for me to grow up and trust. To know Him well enough that I'm confident of His love when He seems far. To know His voice, the cut of His eyes, the intentions of His heart. My Father wants me to look like a kid of His...and act like one, too.
With my selective memory I could tell you about my journey from six years of age to today. That it was all joy and obedience. You know that wouldn't be the whole story, and if it were, I'd be so out of touch with the rest of the family of God as to be taken up into heaven immediately. But what I can attest to, just as the psalmist is, is that my God has always, ever been faithful to His covenant with me. Though I'm faithless, He is faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). I love Him because He first loved me, and gave Himself up for me. Lest I sugar coat His experience with me, let me just say He's put up with more than I could stomach. So, why does my God keep providing and guiding? Because He made a promise to me He intends to keep in spite of me. Because God has a road I'm to walk, a desert I'm to traverse, a Canaan He's prepared to lead me to and He's committed to put up with me until I get there.
This has changed me. Who loves me like that? Only Jesus. When I think of how patient He is, it stills my waves. Makes me try harder with others...and myself. When I think of what He's trudged through to get me out of my messes, it makes me think before I go gallivanting off on my own now. I've come round Mt. Sinai a thousand times in my God's efforts to take me into His promises for me. Trying to learn the lesson one more time. Until it sticks and I can go forward. So I don't want to tell you about all the things my Father's done for me without you realizing what it cost Him to pour out quail or open my mouth to living water. Everything. That's what He paid for the privilege of loving me. It's what I want to give back. Everything. Reciprocate prodigal love, seemingly wasted on a child prone to wander. Magnificent, holy, omnipotent God stooping to make us know Him. Answering our whims, putting up with our complaints, digging us out of our pits, and rescuing us from our choices. Yep. Don't leave out the part where we don't measure up. That is the wonder of His love.
No comments:
Post a Comment