Getting what you long for

“I don’t want my breakfast for supper!” Emma declared with her arms folded and eye brows turned down. Her mom had just laid two hot pancakes on her dinner plate – warmed with butter and maple syrup running over the edge of each cake. It seems that at that moment (that was a year or so ago) Emma had definite ideas of what should be served at different meals and what shouldn’t! You see pancakes are always for special breakfast times when dad and mom have lots of time to prepare it. This particular evening they were being served because mom was running late and there was a program to follow quickly after the meal.

Last evening I was reminded of this thought again about our only granddaughter. She has very definite ideas of right and wrong. She and her brother Clifford were staying at our home overnight. After they had been in bed a while, she marched upstairs to declare that Clifford “was making noises” and she couldn’t get to sleep (they had been in bed about 15 minutes…)

When your brother is a pain – you tell on him. You want it your way. Clifford in turn will be there to tell Emma what she should do and how she, at 8 years old, doesn’t live up to his 12 year old ideals. Emma will sob at times, “Clifford wishes I was dead!” The melodrama is simply wonderful – you need not watch TV – just watch grandkids.

I smile at times watching adults in church – they are similar in so many ways. And yet at times it can make you cry when you hear the whole story. I have come to realize that some (many?) adults are grown up 8 and 12 year olds… and pretty much have been stuck in a pattern for 30 – 40 – 50 – 60 or 70 years.

Yet there is a conflicting verse of scripture that bothers me…

Psalm 21 verses 1 & 2 state…
1 Lord, the king is filled with joy because you are strong. How great is his joy because you help him win his battles! 2 You have given him what his heart longed for. You haven't kept back from him what his lips asked for.

I have pondered these words – “given him what his heart longed for..”

I have longed for lots of things… but never got them. I have wanted lots of stuff – but have what I have – and I deal with it. I have wanted a new car – but there is no money this year for one. I have longed to have my mortgage paid off – but guess what… the Bank owns more of my house than I do. Some of you know that feeling I am sure….

Then why does God give to some and not to others? Why does the King get this blessing and not the ordinary guy?

Maybe the answers are in the fact that God has called him to be King. In relative terms there are other Kings that have more than he does… but the Psalmist helps him to realize that he is blessed just as he is – right now. He is living in blessing – right now! He need not worry about other Kings in the area.

Now adjusting this thinking in my own life is super important to my happiness. I am blessed now if I look at what I have NOW. I have an older van with some dents in it… but I have a van that runs. I have a warm home that has served us well. I only need it for a few more years and will take nothing from it when the Rapture takes place some day soon.

I have more than the King of Psalm 21. I AM BLESSED. Blessings are only really seen by drawing comparisons. You need only remember what you were like and then see what you have to recognize blessing. Looking at some one else helps to see blessing as well. The caution is to avoid the envy – by comparisons that put us down – and to turn to appreciation for what we have now. Again – I AM BLESSED.

In the days when Psalm 21 was written there were different kinds of Kings. There were Kings that were powerful and even cruel. There were Kings that were kind and loved the people that they were King for…. In fact a reading of the whole of Psalm 21 tells a story of different kinds of Kings… and the fact that God will help the King that is being praised to do what is right – and win the war.

Then notice – the King that is being highlighted here by the Psalm writer gives us a secret – in verse 1 – “How great is his joy because you help him win his battles!” He is a happy King and a Blessed King because of his people around him.

I have found a simple fact to be very true – people follow Kings(leaders) that are just. In fact people flourish under just and righteous Kings. If the King is good – it is because he has blessed his people with his blessings. He has poured out on the population all of the blessings that he has received. Kings throw big dinner parties for the little people around them. Kings give away King Stuff to people that do not have. Then the people that watch Kings sing Psalms like Psalm 21 – about all that they do.

I have thought of this often… if I would want to be great in the kingdom affairs of God – then there is a simple but powerful truth I must follow – be a servant to all. I need to place my self in the place of the people around me. I have to be with them – even if it means that I might be at risk. I long to be great in God’s Kingdom.

Getting our “longing” in the right order – or maybe having our longing change is vital to a blessed life.

Have you checked your “longing meter” lately? What are you longing for? Could it be it needs a little adjusting and maybe even some overhauling done?

God can give us a new longing and then begin to put things right in our lives. Simple ask him for help. He will do the rest – oh but you may be require to take the next step and get rid of some junk.

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~

PS – BTW – yesterday I got rid of all the piles in my office. It is all gone. Two big garbage bags FULL. Not hidden and stacked some where else – but gone. There are two small binders of material ready to be sorted. (Please read yesterday’s post – below..) I am blessed!