Psalm 42:2, "My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go to meet with Him?" (ERV).
I am one of those people who is always trying to cram one more thing in before I leave for an appointment. And if I cannot, then I make the fools attempt to make it up while I am on the road! And to be honest, that is OK, when the weather is on my side! But on those days when it is, as they say, 'raining cats and dogs, that doesn't exactly work out in my favor! You see, I have attempted to travel in one of those types of rainstorms while I was already running late, mind you, and still to try to squeeze in another project on my way to a project! I ended up zipping down the highway at top speed, and suddenly I felt myself losing control of the rear wheels! Now, if you would like a fancy word for that experience, it is called "hydroplaning"! What happens is, water builds up under your tires, so you are skimming along on water rather than pavement! In case you are unaware, THIS IS NOT GOOD! The rear of your car starts to go somewhere you do not want it to go and never intended for it to go! If that has ever happened to you, you know it is a scary feeling to start hydroplaning – because you are going too fast, your losing control, and then you end up in a place you did not schedule on your agenda! Possibly in a ditch. For my sake, the Chinese Proverb proved to be true: "A fall into a ditch makes you wiser."
With that memory in mind, I thought of King David. King David was 'hydroplaning' when he wrote Psalm 42:1-5. You see, things were moving fast, and he was losing control, especially of his emotions. David says, "A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I am thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, 'Will I ever make it – arrive and drink in God's presence?' I am on a diet of tears—tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All-day long, people knock at my door, Pestering, 'Where is this God of yours?' These are the things I go over and over, emptying the pockets of my life. I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, leading them all, eager to arrive and worship, shouting praises, singing thanksgiving – celebrating, all of us, God's feast! So why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?" (MSG).
David's hurting, David's crying – morning, noon and night, David is an emotional wreck, David has people looking at him and his situation, and so they began bugging him: 'where is this God of yours?' Which is how some people may view you and what you are struggling with: 'Where is this God of his?' 'Where is this God of hers?' They say things like, 'I thought you said God was all-powerful; all-knowing; ever-present; almighty; awesome; powerful; your provider; your healer; your protector; your deliverer; your way-maker; you're loving and altogether wonderful Heavenly Father. But, if He is, in fact, all those things, and He is your God, where is He in your situation? Where is His help in your time of need?' And David was so friendless while battling this ordeal that he, in fact, started talking to his soul: 'why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues…?' David's slipping, David's overwhelmed, David's emotions are hydroplaning out of control! Are Yours Too? It is OK, to be honest. After all, only the truth sets you free. But masking, masquerading, pretending, faking it till you make it are all nothing but chains of bondage. So please do not allow them to keep you bound any longer.
If the truth is told, many of us have been there. Unfortunately, our challenges were a lot bigger than our resources. We felt like our faith was like a twin-sized fitted sheet on a king-sized mattress; it just could not stretch far enough to cover! We were overwhelmed and anxious. Some of us felt like we would never catch up on anything. We were falling behind in our devotionals, proper scheduling of engagements, etc. Everything just seemed too much! You may have felt like you had two body parts being stretched into 20 different directions! The stress of it all will have you overwhelmed, losing weight, gaining weight, and losing sleep.
But I must say, I have been there before, and if truth be told, I cannot honestly say that I will never be there again. But that day, I wandered into this psalm, Psalm 42, where I was hit with a probing question that turned out to be the answer for me. So, if you feel yourself hydroplaning right now, maybe it is an answer for you, too. In Psalm 42:2, David asks a critical question that I had to learn to ask; likewise, he asked: "…When can I go and meet with God?" (NIV).
Like David, I needed to stop my spinning world and get away with God. So, I got away with just my Bible and my notepad, and I met with God. That may be your Lord's prescription for all that is ailing you right now as well. Although many of you may respond, "No way! There's too much for me to do to stop Everything!" Well, that is precisely why you need to! Whether you know it or not, you are losing control. You must slow down to listen to your Lord for an extended, uninterrupted, unhurried period if you will ever get back on track! Trust me; I was the Queen of, 'I don't have time!' But that is why you must be proactive. Purposely Schedule Time With God! That word 'schedule' is defined as, a set plan for carrying out a process or procedure; arranging a timetable.' And what is the first thing you need to do to start scheduling anything? First, you must figure out what your priorities are! A 'priority is defined as 'something that is regarded as more important than others; something that is superiority in rank, position, or privilege; preferential; something given or meriting attention before competing alternatives; something deemed urgent; supreme and most valued.' And shouldn't that be descriptive of our God as our priority before any other person, place, or thing? Isn't He Higher in rank and position than going to the laundry, movies, supermarket, or even a church or ministry event? Shouldn't God be the first person we give preference and privilege to? After all, He has done for us and means to us, doesn't that merit give Him our attention instead of all the other competing alternatives in life? And indeed, in these end times, wouldn't you say that meeting with God consistently is urgent?!
You see, I have said this before and will repeat it, 'people do what they want to do.' And it is true. Many of the things we say are out of our control and out of our hands are not. Yet, we have chosen them as higher on the priority chain than God. How insulting is that to one who laid down His life that we might live?!
The truth is, I understand. Life can become overwhelmingly busy. But nothing in life should become so busy that we have no time to spend with God. And that means outside of Sunday morning services; Wednesday night prayer and bible study; Sunday school, or other 'church/ministry activities. But this spills over into purposely getting up at 5 am to sit in quiet time with God. Not to repent, not to ask for stuff, not to seek His favor, but to sit and listen to the heart of God. I am persuaded we can no longer hear God because we talk too much! We can sit in prayer for a whole hour, and we are the only ones talking. Then we say 'amen' and off to the races. But God has things He wants to say too. How much of God's directions, wisdom, and guidance are we missing out on simply because we cannot be quiet and listen? But no, we cannot sit and wait for God to speak because we must beat the clock coming and going every day!
But here is a quote that has come to be one of my favorites: "Nature does not hurry, yet Everything is accomplished." (Lao Tzu). If you think about it, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall all come year after year, and neither ever rush to get here, yet they come faithfully and consistently! "For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop." (Genesis 8:22 MSG).
In other words, all the things that God has set or, better yet, "pre-ordained" in life and for your life, Will Occur in their Proper Season! Habakkuk 2:2-3, "And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision message is a witness pointing to what is coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it does not lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It is on its way. It will come right on time." (MSG); Ecclesiastes 3:1, "There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: (MSG) That word 'opportune' is defined as, 'done or occurring at an especially appropriate time.' Its' Latin Origin 'opportunus' comes from the combination of: 'op' (meaning 'in the direction of') and 'portus' (meaning 'harbor'). This is descriptive of the wind driving towards the harbor, hence the idea 'seasonable.' It is when something happens at the right time and season, so it is effortless; even a simple blow can send it off in the wind right direction. It is timely and well-timed. It is appropriate, fitting, proper, suitable, fortunate, and seasonable. And 'seasonable' is defined as 'something appropriate for a particular season.' That is why you must stop running around trying to make Everything happen for yourself overnight! What God deems necessary to happen in your life will happen when it is the right season for it to happen! Isaiah 60:22, "...I am God. At the right time, I'll make it happen." (MSG) You do not have to be so busy trying to force what will fail because you are attempting to make it come to pass, out of season! What God has ordained for your life will have to happen by His hands, not ours. And when we leave it in His hands, you can be assured that it is already Handled with Care! You Have to Wait For Your 'Due-Season,' which means a suitable and appropriate time. God has something Good in store for you; you need to wait for the right, proper, good time for it to come to pass! Remember, God knows seasons, so we do not have 90-degree weather in winter, nor do you have snow in summer! God has ordained the seasons in the earth and your life! Trust Him and Trust His Timing.
Therefore, you need not hurry, rush, or attempt to bring forth fruit in the wrong season! If it is to happen, it will! But please do not make the mistake that many, especially those in ministry, are making and driving so fast up the mountain to reach the top that they have missed the breathtaking scenery along the journey! In their hurry to get to the top of the hill, to mount a flag of victory, to make a name for themselves, they missed all the "little miracles" along the way! They missed the clouds and the silver lining, they missed the calming powder-blue sky, they missed earth's most beautiful sunrises and sunsets, they missed the flowers that determined to push their way through the dirt and sprout forth anyhow, they missed all the creatures, the creation, and the Creator rushing to "create" something themselves!
"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." (Saint Francis de Sales).
Slow down! Reprioritize your schedule and pen down more time with God. We need His guidance and direction. We need His instruction and wisdom. We need to hear His voice. And you cannot get any of that rushing into prayer and rushing out. You cannot get that while having a to-do list longer than your time spent with God.
You will come to a startling revelation in your quiet time with God. He will remind you of all the doctor and specialist appointments, all the 'abnormal' reports, addictions, cancer, all the migraines, the surgeries, the heart murmur, diabetes, someone who may have been homeless, financial ruins, bankruptcy, etc.…and then He will remind you that TODAY not one of those things is a problem for you. Why? Because He healed and delivered you and granted each of us wholeness! And for what purpose? So that we would be mindful of His promise to us: "…I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." (John 10:10 AMP).
Now, does that mean ministry/kingdom work is unimportant? Not at all! But the Scripture gives us the best advice: "Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be delighted!" (Matthew 5:6 AMP).
And to add gravy to our mashed potatoes: "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think He will attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you? What I am trying to do here is to get you to relax, not to be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who do not know God and how He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Do not worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (Matthew 6:30-33 MSG).
WE MUST STOP HYDROPLANING, GET IN HIS PRESENCE, AND HUSH!
Stop running around, "like a chicken with his head cut off"! Life goes by fast enough, do not rush and hurry through it, and do not busy yourself so much that you have no idea where ten years went! God will provide for you naturally and spiritually, so stop hydroplaning in all the wrong directions, stop wasting your time and your life! Both of which you cannot get back once they are gone!
This week, take the time to write down what you are feeling and thinking as you make it your most important business to meet with God and listen to Him. First, ask Him for a fresh look at the people in your life, at the pressures, and your priorities. Then, ask Him to help you see the forest again; because, if the truth is told, you have been overwhelmed by focusing on all the individual trees!
In His presence, set some priorities. Make some plans and weed some things out. You can trust what you are sensing in an extended time with God. Which needs to be on a more regular basis. Matthew 11:28-30, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me, and you will recover your life. I will show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I will not lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (MSG) If you want to learn how to live freely and lightly without being tired, worn out, burned out, and weighted down with a life that is heavy and ill-fitting, then do what Jesus invited you to do: "COME TO ME; GET AWAY WITH ME; WALK WITH ME; WORK WITH ME; WATCH ME; KEEP COMPANY WITH ME!" That is a lot of 'ME'! Which tells us just how important Jesus feels about our relationship with Him. He desires to spend time with us, and He makes it a priority because He wakes us up every morning without fail, keeps us safe throughout the day, and blesses us with sweet sleep every night. How can we NOT desire to spend time with Him…On Purpose?!
And I am not talking about spending time with God when the doctor gives you a bad report, or you have lost a loved one, or the job laid you off, or the kids are acting up, or the marriage is about over; or the bank accounts have a whole lot of zeros but with no other number in the front! No, that is the time when we always go running to God. Then, He is a Priority Because, for us, Our Problem is a Priority. But that is not how you build a solid relationship. Spending time with God must be purposeful and consistent. Spend time with God when Everything in our world for a change seems to be going 'right and good.' Since those are the times when God is greatly ignored. God has already promised to meet our every need, but that does not mean we treat Him like that is all we need Him for. He desires a relationship, and a relationship requires time. Make sure you are not shortchanging God on your end!
If you are traveling at high speed right now and you feel yourself losing control, first, SLOW DOWN! You need to carve out time away from where your Lord can show you what He wants, what He sees when He looks at the people in your life, when He looks at the situations in your life, and when He looks at the needs in your life. Remember, you must be still to know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."). Here are some instructions for you every day from the varying translations of that Scripture: "Be still…" (AMP); "Let be and be still…"; (AMPC); "Our God says, 'Calm Down'…" (CEV); "Let go of your concerns…" (GWT); "Stop your fighting…" (CSB); "Stand silent!" (TLB); "Cease striving…" (NASB); "Be quiet…" (NLV). And lastly, the Message Bible says, "… "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at Me, your High God, above politics, above Everything." (MSG) That is what you need to do today: Be still, calm down, let go, stop fighting, be silent, cease striving, be quiet and step out of the traffic, take a long, look at God, your High God, and know that He alone is Above Everything! Even Your Schedule!
Stop allowing your entire life to be arranged around trying to get something done outside of God's Will, God's Plan, God's Purpose, and God's Timing. It is futile, and you are missing out on life, and more importantly, you are missing out on a relationship with God! Therefore, today, I challenge you to slow down long enough to ask a simple question: "…When can I go and meet with God?" Then, if you are smart, you will also take time to answer it by saying, 'Right Now!
Psalm 42:2, "My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go to meet with Him?" (ERV). The word 'thirst' is defined as, 'a sensation of dryness; parched; deficient of moisture; eager; hunger; restless; breathless; longing; pining; dehydrated.' And 'dehydrated' is defined as 'burned out; drained; exhausted; fatigued; sapped; weakened; worn out; discouraged; disheartened; dispirited.' That is how David described his soul. Maybe that is how you can tell yours too. And if that is the case, all you need to do to quench your soul's thirst is meet with the Living Water. When your well is empty, you need to know where to go John 4:14, "But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life." (AMP)
David experienced a crazy emotional roller coaster ride throughout Psalm 42:1-5. But the last part of Psalm 42:5 says this, "…Fix my eyes on God – soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's, my God." (MSG) This is how you bounce back as David did. You meet with God and fix your eyes on Him alone. You purposely remove all the distractions and see and hear only Him. You Get in His Presence, and You Stay Present. And if you do, the conclusion of your meeting with God will be, "… I will be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's, my God." Check your calendar; this is one meeting you cannot afford to miss; raincheck, reschedule, or cancel!
Schedule Time With God, Your Soul (And Your Life) Needs a Drink of His Living Water!
"Spending time with God is the key to our strength and success in all areas of life. Be sure that you never try to work God into your schedule, but always work your schedule around Him." (Joyce Meyer)
"We schedule meetings to keep our business going in the right direction – we need to schedule meetings with God to help keep our lives going in the right direction." (DeVon Franklin)
"It is not easy to shut out the world, set aside a few minutes by yourself, and spend time in God's Word and prayer. But it is essential to grow in our relationship with God and be strengthened for the battles ahead. Do not delay. Begin now to spend time alone with God every day." (Billy Graham)
J.P. Olson
www.thewordwithjpolson.org
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