He closed his eyes and tried to shut out his thoughts. It would be better just to listen to the rain falling, to smell the pines and the wood smoke. They couldn’t take that from him—the memory of countless lonely fires built in countless lonely places, a memory that leaves a man with a taste for wild country.”
–Louis L’Amour (Under the Sweetwater Rim)
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
–Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)
———————————
My, oh my, sometimes we don’t see, sometimes we are foolish, and sometimes we don’t know what we are to see. I read a great story from William and Randy Petersen’s book on Psalms which I’ll share. Two close friends, who hadn’t seen each other in years were able to make contact again. One became involved in the theater and the show was performing in the other friend’s town. The show business friend invited her to come watch the show. “That Friday night she got to the theater just before curtain time. All she could afford was a rear balcony seat, but she enjoyed the play from that lofty perch. Meanwhile, her friend, the actress, looked out from the stage and saw an empty seat in the front row–the seat she had reserved for her friend. Only later did they realize the mix-up. The actress wanted to treat her friend to the choicest of seats, but the other person didn’t know enough to ask for her reserved ticket.”
11 — But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.
12 — So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.
13 — Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!
14 — I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 — The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him, but their fate would endure forever.
16 — He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied them. (NKJV)
In Psalm 81, we see that the Lord wants to feed us “with the best of foods” (NLT). He wants us to be satisfied from His table and it is spread, ready for us. All we need to do is find our seat at the table. Look at the goodness of the Lord, look at what He has done for you and think of the blessings that He has in store for you as you partake of His banquet. Derek Kidner said, “He gives the best, and brings the sweetness out of that which is harsh, forbidding, and wholly unpromising.” Paul and Silas knew this, that’s why they could sing in prison, and the result was souls saved, the kingdom enhanced, and the Lord glorified.
So many choose to live in bitterness and regret and that includes Christians. The truth of the matter is that the Lord wants you to be satisfied at His table. It is when we choose to go our own way, when we make decisions without consulting Him or His Word that we get into trouble and find our lives facing disaster. Those who choose against the Lord’s will have their fate sealed forever. The NIV says that they will “cringe before Him.” Yet the table is spread, His arms are open and inviting us to partake. The choice is ours. “There’s Honey in the Rock, my brother, There’s Honey in the Rock for you; Leave your sins for the blood to cover, There’s Honey in the Rock for you.” (F.A. Graves)
“I’ve a message full of love, hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you;
‘Tis a message from above, hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know its true:
Look and live!”
–William A. Ogden
———————————
My, oh my, sometimes we don’t see, sometimes we are foolish, and sometimes we don’t know what we are to see. I read a great story from William and Randy Petersen’s book on Psalms which I’ll share. Two close friends, who hadn’t seen each other in years were able to make contact again. One became involved in the theater and the show was performing in the other friend’s town. The show business friend invited her to come watch the show. “That Friday night she got to the theater just before curtain time. All she could afford was a rear balcony seat, but she enjoyed the play from that lofty perch. Meanwhile, her friend, the actress, looked out from the stage and saw an empty seat in the front row–the seat she had reserved for her friend. Only later did they realize the mix-up. The actress wanted to treat her friend to the choicest of seats, but the other person didn’t know enough to ask for her reserved ticket.”
11 — But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.
12 — So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.
13 — Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!
14 — I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 — The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him, but their fate would endure forever.
16 — He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied them. (NKJV)
In Psalm 81, we see that the Lord wants to feed us “with the best of foods” (NLT). He wants us to be satisfied from His table and it is spread, ready for us. All we need to do is find our seat at the table. Look at the goodness of the Lord, look at what He has done for you and think of the blessings that He has in store for you as you partake of His banquet. Derek Kidner said, “He gives the best, and brings the sweetness out of that which is harsh, forbidding, and wholly unpromising.” Paul and Silas knew this, that’s why they could sing in prison, and the result was souls saved, the kingdom enhanced, and the Lord glorified.
So many choose to live in bitterness and regret and that includes Christians. The truth of the matter is that the Lord wants you to be satisfied at His table. It is when we choose to go our own way, when we make decisions without consulting Him or His Word that we get into trouble and find our lives facing disaster. Those who choose against the Lord’s will have their fate sealed forever. The NIV says that they will “cringe before Him.” Yet the table is spread, His arms are open and inviting us to partake. The choice is ours. “There’s Honey in the Rock, my brother, There’s Honey in the Rock for you; Leave your sins for the blood to cover, There’s Honey in the Rock for you.” (F.A. Graves)
“I’ve a message full of love, hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you;
‘Tis a message from above, hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know its true:
Look and live!”
–William A. Ogden