I had an interesting day today. It started out with a considerable amount of discomfort in the form of a headache. I have been having trouble with the top 2 or 3 vertebrae in my neck C1-C3 becoming compressed. That seems to translate into all kinds of nerve messages that if ignored, like when I am sleeping, will result in a whopper of a head pounder. So thats how my day started up at 5 AM and down on the floor taking ibu- and applying heat and pressure trying to get things to just chill out so I could have a normal day. Not very good luck there I am afraid. However, a trip to the local Chiro and some more sleep and I was feeling in pretty good shape. Albeit I had lost a day that will never come back around. Later in the afternoon I had some errands that I needed to run before I had an acupuncture appt. So while driving from home to destinations I began, slowly and almost imperceptibly at first, to feel my head and heart begin to fill. Somebody cut me off at an intersection and the normal refrain of "knucklehead!" got caught in my throat and instead I said nothing. Weird.
I went to the stores I needed to visit and everyone I smiled at (well almost everyone) smiled back. That feeling of filling was back. I went to the local book store to wait for my appt time and drink a cup of tea and it came on me again. Big time. I could feel the float in my heart moving up and up toward full. My brain kept thinking about my wife, my kids, my God, my life, and up, up, up went the needle toward full. This probably sounds weird I know. The feeling was so inescapable now that I paid attention to its steady rise. I was thinking, "You dummy, if people see you sitting here smiling like a loony they will likely call the cops". Didn't care.
I got a text from my wife and I started smiling. I got a text from my oldest son and I smiled some more. Sent them both a text in return and I was grinning like I was holding pocket aces with two showing from the Flop (sorry if that doesn't make sense - google the terms). Basically I was telegraphing that I was feeling good!!! I got into my car and started driving to the Pins and Needles doctor and the feeling like a huge wave was washing over me. I mean I wanted to shout or something. About what you might ask? About almost everything!
What I felt (and still do as I write this) is that my life has so little capacity to hold and contain the fullness of Gods blessings for me. Like that 5 pound bag I wrote about weeks ago, God is trying to cram 10 pounds of Joy and Peace and Faith and Love and Confidence into this 'Ol 5 pound bag and, well, He just cant seem to get it all in there. It just wants to overflow.
The 23rd Psalm is a staple that probably even non believers could quote at least part of. But to those who believe; it is a promise of the ever attentive God in our lives. He is always aware of us. Where we are, what we are going through, what we need, and what we don't need. He is our Shepherd and he knows us, each of us, by name and he calls us by name. We hear His Voice and we recognize OUR Shepherd and will answer and follow Him and not another.
There are some really awesome things going on in this scripture. The Shepherd, the One who made everything, The God who is God over all other gods, The Creator who formed us in our mother's womb and numbered our parts, that same Shepherd is preparing for us a banquet table. Not in the back of some hall somewhere or inside a tent out of the sun and dust, but he is setting the table for US, in the presence of our enemies. Right under the noses of the ones, and things, that vex us, that once bound us and desire to do so again. Smack dab in the front so that everyone can see. Why would he do that? Let me suppose for a second. I believe he does this so that everyone and everything that has our name on the most wanted list can see and know that we are watched over and provided for not by just anyone. No we are under the care of the One whom demons implored, "Jesus thou Son of God, are you here to torment us before the time". Torment in this sense sounds a lot like Water Boarding. God does not play games. If being a Christian is anything, it is a serious calling. Remember I was the one grinning so I'm not talking about stone faced, gloomy service to the King. I'm talking about a commitment for life. A burn the ships kind of commitment. He ain't playin and we shouldn't be playin.
So the table is set and the banquet is spread and then the Shepherd pours Oil over our heads. He anoints us with Oil. Now there are not any direct parallels for what I am about to write other than like references and meanings for and of oil. The word "anoint" is quite interesting. One of its meanings is to be fat, become fat, grow fat, to become prosperous. He is covering us with His blessing. Psalm 1 talks about the benefits and expected life of one who loves the Word and directs their steps according to its tenets and precepts. In verse 3 it says that the disciple of the Lord will be like a tree planted by a river (deep roots, healthy at all times of the year - drought proof) and WHATSOEVER HE DOES SHALL PROSPER.
Look I can see the corners of your mouth beginning to curl upwards in a smile. Go ahead and let go! These are not just my promises (for me) they are His promises to Whomsoever Will. If all that were not enough the Shepherd begins to pour into our cup. Filling the bottom, then the sides, then crowning the brim and then, it begins to spill out and overflow. When does he stop pouring? Does it matter? I hope he never stops pouring!!! To me this says that the supply of refreshing is without end. Like the wedding at Cana, when the wine ran out the Masters mother instructed the servants to do whatever her son Jesus told them to do, and the wedding feast continued with the best wine held in reserve. If those jars had been emptied then I am certain that the servants would have filled them again with water and dipped out pitchers of wine. God's supply is without end. He owns all the cattle on a thousand hills, and does not need our help with anything, but rather allows us to join Him in his labors to His praise and to our blessing.
So don't worry about that spillage from your cup. The Master is making sure that you have enough for the day and the day after that. He is trying to breath (or pour) into us confidence that we are not just barely getting by under His watchful eyes. No it is His great desire to pour out a blessing that we cannot contain.
Well my face is starting to hurt from smiling so long. I'm gonna call it a day now and go to sleep smiling. If you don't think you have reason to smile and you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, you really need to get out a piece of paper and start the list of things that are a result of knowing Him. Begin with taking your sin upon Himself and nailing the invoice for all our debts and infractions to His Cross. From there the rest should just begin to flow! You have to know Him though. Not just about Him but know Him. You need to become a new creature in Him according to His plan that was laid out before the earth even had foundations. Read Acts Chapter 2 as a starting place to see how it is that the path of salvation has been laid out for us! God bless you!
Right on!!!!!!!!
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