A Needed Prayer

Proverbs 30:7-9 NASB
Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: [8] Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, [9] That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

This is a prayer for contentment and consistency.  It is a prayer we would be well advised to commit to memory and pray with great regularity.

We are so very weak and so very bombarded with temptations that it is hard to neither deceive not seek riches.  We are measured today by what we have (or don't have) and it is impossible to avoid being affected by it.  We need that balance - that gracious balance this prayer seeks.

You and I know this struggle.  We faces many many times each day.  We want to be like everyone else and unfortunately so do many of our fellow believers.  But we are unique individuals in so many ways and we are a unique people as well.  Our ways must not be "THEIR" ways.  What we seek must be above and beyond what they seek.

Trusting God to answer a prayer such as this should not be hard.  But cooperating with His providential answers can be.  It is indeed a battle - a moment by moment battle.  He has won the war but we must clear the fields and hills of the insurgent enemy until the final victory is revealed.

I encourage you to memorize this prayer and to pray it often - especially in ties of trial and in times of temptation.  Let the assurance of His goodness and willingness to answer this prayer comfort and calm you.

There is lies the lesson.

M

Finger Thinking 082513

Mat 6:10  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Thomas Case wrote:
"By suffering God's will we learn to do God's will:  God hath no obedience children as those whom he nurtures in the school of affliction.  At length brings his scholars to subscribe, what God will, when God will, how God will."

Our striving after godliness is no mere walk.  It is a constant struggle to overcome the flesh (self).  Being wholly unable to make any progress on our own, our loving Father often uses the rod of corrections to teach us obedience.  And indeed, for the redeemed, all affliction carries with it a critical lesson /God desires us to learn.

No, it is never pleasant and it gives provocation to our flesh (self) but we must remain under it as the lesson He has for us unfold.  Whatever the lesson, we must learn it.  It is His will for us.  Learn it not the first time and His love demands we learn it under a new affliction.  His holiness and indeed His love demands He teach us in whatever way He must that we may be conformed to the likeness of His Son.

We fight it to our own hurt.  We crave deliverance to our own detriment.  When we resist His instruction through His Word and Spirit.  When we ignore the ordinary means He uses to teach us and mold us He must use those methods which we call affliction and suffering to quiet the flesh (self) - to overcome the abiding principle of evil we carry within our selves.

We have a choice.   We can humbly submit to Him in the exercise of those duties He calls us to or we expect the rod of correction to drive us to them.  In His mercy and grace we have the choice.  In our fallen struggle we must fight for the right choices.  If we do not, if we reject or ignore His common means for our instruction He has no choice but to correct us by what ever means for what ever duration towards His end for us.

There in lies a lesson.

Finger Thinking Psalm 28:9b

Psalm 28:9b
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

A curious verse.  It is not uncommon for a shepherd to have to carry one of his or her sheep.  Illness, injury, even contrariness all all circumstances the would give rise to this need.

In this little verse however we read Davids request that God carry His sheep forever.

A curious picture.

Until we realize that regardless of our maturity in Christ we all suffer illness, injury and bouts of contrariness.  We all need to be carried.

But the picture here is not that occasional carrying but rather a constant, consistent carrying of the sheep.

Perhaps we need to prayerfully consider our constant, consistent need to be carried.

It's all too easy for us, when we are comfortable and at our ease, to assume we are able to walk on our own.  We assume we suffer neither illness, injury nor contrariness when indeed one of those is not all are our most common condition.

David paints a picture in this simple verse of our need to realize our need to be carried at all times, in all ways by our Good shepherd.

The pride that attends prosperity can blinds to our great need to be carried.  We grow lax in our duties and the blessings of God seem common and go little noticed.  It is our duty to strive to know our need.  Not just in affliction but in times of seeming wellness and obedience.  It is our duty at all times.

Do you let the Shepherd carry you?  Are you utterly dependent upon Him in your mind and heart?  Are you willing to so humble yourself that you really accept - completely and utterly - that apart from Him you can do exactly nothing?

A little verse - a powerful truth.
And so the lesson ends.