Delighting In The Lord

"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness..." (Isaiah 61:10a)

A kindhearted farmer came upon a young boy who had just lost a load of hay along the side of the road, and suggested that the boy come home with him and have dinner before reloading the wagon. The boy said he didn't think his father would like that, but the farmer persisted, and finally the boy agreed. After eating dinner and relaxing a bit, the farmer drove the boy back to the scene of the accident, and started to help him put the hay back on the wagon. "By the way," the farmer said, "you're awfully young to be pitching this hay yourself. Where's your father?" "He's under this hay," the boy replied.

I don't believe I want to be that boy when he gets home. Ha! But isn't that just like our human nature? Given the opportunity for something "better" we drop everything to pursue that "something." We leave the Father behind, we bury Him from our minds, left under the "hay" not to be seen while we pursue our own selfish desires. Soon we feel the need to uncover our Father, and we shudder at what might be His response. We imagine all sorts of things, "Just wait till I get you home." I remember those words from my mother and I still shudder at the thought of them. We can't just leave Him there, we know we did wrong, we must face the fact that punishment is coming. Then! After pulling Him out of the rubble we had left behind, He is smiling and says to us, "I knew you would be back sooner or later, so I just rested awhile until you came to your senses. Now let us get this hay to the barn where it belongs, tomorrow is another day."  We are shocked, words cannot express our feelings, all fear is gone, the Father puts His big arm around us and we walk together towards home.

Life has a way of capturing us when we are the most vulnerable. Isn't it so comforting that our Heavenly Father seems to understand us better than we do ourselves. He loves us, waits patiently for us. Our only response to that is to become humble and obedient. Remember we have the choice, in the midst of our troubles do we go with the world, or do we stay with the Father?

Daily Prayer:

Thank you Jesus for being our intercessor. Thank you Holy Spirit for being our comforter, and Thank you Father for adopting me into your family. Give me wisdom to know when I am being mislead, when I am struggling to face the trials of life so that my life will represent you to others who also are going through their own struggles and need you.                                                   Amen