Shade Tree Wisdom 7/1/08

Well, the promise is another 95 or so degree day. But the morning, and the walking, is quite pleasant. The secret to that is Get Out Early when the birds are still singing and traffic hasn’t had a chance to get quite so busy. It’s quieter, and more conducive to thought.

Look at that date. The year is already half gone and things aren’t getting any better. And we wonder whether they ever will improve, or not. But I’d like to ask you to look at Psalm 118 for a little bit. It begins with this word of assurance, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever’ 118,1. The Psalmist is sure. He depends on that mercy, it lasts he says, it is always there to be trusted. That “love never quits”, says The Message.

So he adds, “It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man”. V.8. Good advice. There are many who are retired, or nearing retirement, who have seen their resources dwindle because of advice they took from a well-meaning person, who wish now they would have maybe invested more conservatively.

We, each, can think of advice we took that led us into some disaster or other.

Remember Joshua, when they were fighting to make the land their own? God’s directive was to wipe out those living there lest they lead the children of Israel into evil ways. Well, they were successful in battle after battle. One day here came a delegation seeking to make a sort of alliance. They were dressed shabbily, the bread in their packs was dry and moldy, and they said they had “come from a far country” and asked Joshua to make a pact with them. And Joshua did, without asking the Lord’s advice, as the Book writes, and, lo and behold, these Gibeonites were living right there. So they made them “hewers of wood and water carriers”. The mistake Joshua made was to “put confidence in man”.

So the new month begins, and this is what we will do. St. Paul wrote to Timothy with some specific instructions. He said, “The first of all, then, I urge that entreaties, and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men”. 1 Timothy 1,2. Good advice. Not, “Timothy, it might be well to," but “I Urge you”. He is saying, “I am pleading, I beg you, son”. If he were writing today – and the advice is meant for us – he’d say, “Before you start the day, the very first thing is prayer. Before you take the morning shower, or have breakfast or drive to work, this. Pray.”

Make prayer your top priority, always. If we truly believe that “the Lord is on my side’ Ps. 118,6, then let’s take this step and have the confidence that He will and He does guide our steps “in the way that we should go”. And in that way lies blessing, and so peace, because we have a guide whom we can trust.” Bless the way.
GPD 7/1/08