[Jesus said,] “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you
won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little you won’t be honest
with greater responsibilities.” Luke 16:10
It used to be
that days or even a week got by without a lot of thought for me, but as I grow
older whole months slip through my fingers before I have a chance to stop,
reflect, and record what has happened in that time period. Even today, as I write this, weeks have passed
between the first words and these last ones.
Blogging is definitely not at the top of my priority list right now, but
not because I don’t want to take the time to write. It’s simply because time
for such pursuits is hard to come by. Work and family demands have taken over,
and sometimes, just my body needing sleep keeps me from sitting down to write. I have no energy for it, which makes me sad
because I do love to write.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to be faithful in the matter of
writing every day or even every week, but that is a pursuit with a purpose only
for me, really, and those responsibilities God has put me in charge of at home
and at work are for others, and that’s where my focus now lies. I can say, however, that I have been faithful
thus far in my goal to read through the Bible in a year. I am now on page 475 of “The Daily Bible,”
which is taking me through the life of King David, whose heart was always in
the right place, even if he wasn’t always honest and sinless with how he
handled situations in his life.
David is such a
down-to-earth character in the Bible, even for a King. He had the faith of a child throughout his
life from the days he was a simple shepherd boy who beat the Giant Goliath with
a rock and sling shot to the days he was fleeing from his own son, Absalom, who
was trying to overthrow him as King of Israel.
He made some terrible choices along his life’s journey, such as
committing adultery with Bathsheba, then having her husband killed on the
battlefield, so he could marry her and raise the baby she had growing inside
her from David. He also suffered for
those choices. God did not allow that baby to live, no matter how much David
prayer and pleaded to God for the child’s life.
But, for the most part, David was faithful to consult God even in the
little things, and he had a heart for God always. This shows in all the beautiful and emotional
Psalms he wrote when he was in trouble and when he was content with life. He
always remembered to praise God and thank him for being there for him. He is humbled by the awesomeness of God.
So often today, I
think we are too filled with pride. We cannot see beyond ourselves and our
lives, and we do not spend enough time with God. Life itself has become a whirlwind of action
and activity. We rush from one thing to
the next, often with our cell phones or IPods in our hands, reading texts,
searching the internet, or playing games while we transition from one thing to
another. We never stop to simply take a
deep breath, look at the sky, or consider this wonderful world God made for us,
which is so much more than the feat of technology man has crossed with all our
devices. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy my devices as much as the next person.
Heck, my blog depends on technology to share my words and thoughts with the
world, but I would be okay without it.
If all technology broke down tomorrow, what would be left? The original
world God made for us. That’s part of
why I have come to enjoy my job more and more over the last couple of years,
because I spend time with very young children, seeing the world through their
eyes again. My own children are already immersed in technology, but the
preschoolers and toddlers I see on a daily basis are focused on the bugs of the
playground and the fish in their classroom aquarium. They are enamored with
garbage trucks and airplanes, and they appreciate the people in their lives,
delving out hugs to familiar teachers and parents whenever they enter the
classroom and sharing stories about their lives as often as they can. We get so wrapped up in our devices and our
troubles that we forget about God and His creation! We forget about how blessed
we are to live safely through another day with family, friends, food, clothes,
and a home to live in. We forget to
thank and praise Him and to include Him in our lives.
What I am
striving to be faithful in at this point in my life is simply spending time
with God, in His word, in prayer, in consulting Him with all the big and little
matters of life and including Him in it first and foremost. When you take the time to consult God, to
make Him the biggest part of your life, all that pride and selfishness starts
to disappear. God will humble you in the best possible way. He will show you how much better life is when
we are focused on Him instead of just ourselves. He will show you what it means to have the
heart of David.
Psalm 3
A psalm of David.
When he fled from his son Absalom.
O Lord, how many are
my foes!
How many rise up
against me!
Many are saying of
me,
“God will not deliver
him.”
But you are a shield
around me, O Lord;
You bestow glory on
me and lift up my head.
To the Lord I cry
aloud,
And he answers me
from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because
the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear the
tens of thousands
Drawn up against me
on every side.
Arise, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies
on the jaw;
Break the teeth of
the wicked.
From the Lord comes
deliverance.
May your blessing be
on your people.
