Weather report from heaven: Sunny and bright with an abundance of light, and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”- Psalm 37:4
“To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”- Ecclesiastes 2:26
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”- Matthew 25:21
Insight: I was listening to some of my favorite Christian music yesterday while I was working out. Some may argue with my definition of “working out” at age 57 and I couldn’t blame them. I realized more than once during this fitness rush that I am no spring chicken. But I love how God can speak to us through the lyrics of songs. One of my favorite Christian Artists is Chris Tomlin and I especially love his song called “Good Good Father.” One of the lyrics really stuck out to me today and it directly correlates to today’s quote. The lyric goes “ I’ve seen many searching for answers both far and wide, but I know we’re all searching for answers only You provide. You’re a good, good Father, that’s who You are, that’s who You are.” I thought right then and there how many times I search for answers to my problems and challenges “far and wide” while ignoring the Only One that can truly provide the answers I need. Let me save everyone some time based on my wanderings and meanderings in the past: Jesus is the answer, and the only answer, to our life’s biggest questions! He answers the big 4 of origin, meaning, morality and destiny and all others in between. All time is measured by His name! But sometimes we falsely attribute characteristics of our earthly dad’s to our Eternal Father and this causes great pain, as we avoid seeking God for our answers, because our earthly father may have let us down or hurt us. Big mistake I often still make!
After the workout I was studying some quotes to use by C.S. Lewis for today’s writing and this one is just so appropriate. Today’s quote is “God can’t give us peace and happiness apart from Himself because there is no such thing.” Trust me, I have tried almost everything there is in the book to find peace and happiness apart from the Lord, and they truly don’t satisfy me, at least not for very long. They are all cheap substitutes that the enemy uses to try to distract us from going right to Jesus. The list is as long as your imagination, but obviously includes: money and all it can buy, material things that never satisfy. Drugs that wear off and leave you worse off than before. Sex with people you hardly know, which leaves you totally unfulfilled. (This was way before marriage by the way for those who are wondering, and to be clear sex inside of a marriage is a great thing, as close to finding true peace and happiness as anything I have ever found besides God.) Alcohol consumption meant to anesthetize pain. Counsel from others not based on Scriptural Truth. The list is endless, but we must realize so is God’s love and wisdom. He alone can satisfy. He alone has the answers to all of life’s questions. His Word in the Bible is the treasure of greatest value in the whole world, but sadly many leave it parked on a shelf. If you wouldn’t do that with earthly treasure, why would you do it with eternal treasure? Run to Him to find the answers you seek, to find the peace and happiness your soul craves. See the scriptures above for a good start. There is nothing else that can ever satisfy. Nothing else can heal like God’s love! He is a Good, Good Father indeed!
Prayer: Father God, help us to remember to always run to You and You alone to find the peace and happiness we seek. Everything else is counterfeit, and cannot satisfy like only You can. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
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