Foresaking Provision

What may seem like frustration on the surface can often times be the bud of a blessing. And given the proper obedience and a little self control it can blossom not only into a blessing but so much of a blessing that it becomes as necessary as breath. Today after sitting in front of my computer all day working on an illustration, I started going stir crazy. I called some friends, but having lives of their own were not free at the moment. So I still had an hour to kill. In my boredom and frustration that I had yet another hour to spend with myself I decided to read. I can be so foolish sometimes, why must it take these extreme emotions and feelings to get me to sit down and listen to what the Lord has to say to me. While driving to a coffee shop I was convicted, the Lord whispered to me that I did not have to spend another hour wallowing in my own mind, but I am blessed and privileged to spend a moment with Him. Then I got to thinking, how I have actually been busy these past few weeks. I had a semi regular work week subbing at lest 4 out of the 5 day week. I asked myself what have I been doing with my free time? I have been self-indulgent; I have been hanging out with friends and avoiding alone time, the alone time that I usually give back to the Lord in prayer and reading. Realizing that I have been allowing myself to be seduced into letting a blessing become a burden I began to apologize for my selfishness. The devil was trying to use wonderful and powerful friendships the Lord has blessed me with for its purposes. I was disgusted with myself when I realized I was letting a blessing wither into a burden. I asked the Lord to forgive me and help me make the right decisions. I figured the best place to start is to spend time with Him. So I got my cup of coffee and scone and walked over to a park bench by the fountain in middle of the Orange Circle and got out one of my favorite devotionals, Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon. And to my joy and contentment the Lord confirmed my concerns with a passage from the morning section of May 25th’s devotions. The quote that just drove it home was this, “Forsake me not in my joys, lest they absorb my heart.” It was speaking of the importance of never forsaking the Lord, weather in blessing or wanting, in sorrow or joy. How in forsaking my quiet time with Him, I was allowing a blessing from the Lord to absorb so much of my time and attention that it edged Him out.

And what really trips me out, is the Lords timing. How Spurgeon in obedience was pressed and lead to write on this topic so many years ago not know the profound effect that one sentence would have on me. It’s the crazy stuff like this that brings a smile to my face. The Lords timing is so incredibly perfect.