“It seems to me that we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at that moment, we expected some other good. . . .”
C. S. Lewis. “A Mind Awake.”
So, evidently, we have something of a choice here: We can celebrate the “good that God offers us” or we can wish for something else, “some other good.” Although our “some other good” is always something less than what God intends. But we sometimes persist in refusing to give thanks for “the good that God offers us” because our expectations are focused on that “something less” of our own making or imagining. And again, and yet again we find that we are disappointed with that “something less” and inevitably blame God for the outcome.
My Monday morning anchor Scripture is Psalm 23: 1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD
forever.
I still prefer the King James translation of verse one: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” It is the Lord who leads me. The rest of this Psalm describes many places to/through which He may lead, to which the Psalmist responds, “I shall not want." It is another way of saying that I choose to live in “good that God offers” in spite of and in the midst of my circumstances. Green pastures, still waters, paths of righteousness or the valley of the shadow of death have no power over the “good that God offers!”
The Apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” So, contentment is not a gift of the Spirit but is something we learn as we learn to lean into the “good that God offers.”
There is no other “good” equal to the “good” that God sees as best for us in any given season in life.
You can, as the saying goes, “go the bank on that!”
On the journey . . .
Pastor J K
C. S. Lewis. “A Mind Awake.”
So, evidently, we have something of a choice here: We can celebrate the “good that God offers us” or we can wish for something else, “some other good.” Although our “some other good” is always something less than what God intends. But we sometimes persist in refusing to give thanks for “the good that God offers us” because our expectations are focused on that “something less” of our own making or imagining. And again, and yet again we find that we are disappointed with that “something less” and inevitably blame God for the outcome.
My Monday morning anchor Scripture is Psalm 23: 1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD
forever.
I still prefer the King James translation of verse one: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” It is the Lord who leads me. The rest of this Psalm describes many places to/through which He may lead, to which the Psalmist responds, “I shall not want." It is another way of saying that I choose to live in “good that God offers” in spite of and in the midst of my circumstances. Green pastures, still waters, paths of righteousness or the valley of the shadow of death have no power over the “good that God offers!”
The Apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” So, contentment is not a gift of the Spirit but is something we learn as we learn to lean into the “good that God offers.”
There is no other “good” equal to the “good” that God sees as best for us in any given season in life.
You can, as the saying goes, “go the bank on that!”
On the journey . . .
Pastor J K
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