Scripture
God, you are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
~Psalm 63:1, CSB
Quote
Mercy-drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.
~Daniel Webster Whittle
In my Saturday morning reading I came across the above verse which was so fitting for the day, actually the month of September. June remarked last night about how fast September has zoomed by and my comment was: “Yes I agree. It has gone by in a hurry in spite of the drought.” I love rain, I have always loved rain. As a boy, rain was the only thing that could get us out of the cotton field on a hot summer day. The only problem was, mother made us go back and pull weeds as soon as it quit. If I’m not in a hurry or in heavy traffic, I love to drive in the rain. But the problem is I become obsessed with the need for rain. I can’t get it off my mind. I go to bed thinking about rain, I get up thinking about rain but there is no rain. I look at my weather apt on my phone a dozen times a day, looking to see if they are forecasting rain. Does all this anxiety accomplish anything? NO!
I usually listen to Michael W. Smith every Sunday morning and I begin with his song, “Let It Rain.” I even know all the words to the song…Open the floodgates of heaven; Let it rain, let it rain. That’s it, only eleven words. In Psalm 63 David is talking about a deeper thirst: just as the land, the dry earth longs for water, you and I should long for an out pouring of the Holy Spirit. Our deepest thirst should be for God. Sometimes we put more focus on the gifts {rain} than we do the GIVER. He is he One we should seek and long for: not the pronoun YOU in the verse above. We are to seek HIM, thirst for HIM and even faint for HIM. I long to be overshadowed, overwhelmed, overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. I long for God to do something that no man can take credit for doing. I don’t want more meetings, not even more revival meetings, I want REVIVAL itself. I want the real thing. I need it as much as the dry land needs rain, probably more. I hate the status quo; I am sick and tired of the same old, same old. I pray that God will move among us, stir our hearts, and even break our hearts. We are complacent and indifferent. We are too easily satisfied by fickle worldly pleasures. We can’t get folks off of the beaches and out of the amusement parts long enough to congregate and plead for Revival. We have too many folks who are satisfied with what they have. They don’t want God messing with their season tickets, their condos, or their eight weekend vacations a year. We are so busy amusing ourselves that we don’t muse. If you don’t know what that means, look it up. “Think,” that is a clue.
- Jeremy’s sister Amanda is in HH. They have her in a comfort care room and I am thankful. I don’t want her to suffer. Please pray for Amanda. I saw her yesterday and she managed a smile but she is in some discomfort. Pray works, I don’t understand how it works but I know it works. I need you to pray for Amanda. We have about 70 readers more or less and I want all 70 to pray for Amanda today.
- I have far less energy that in days gone by but I love to preach as much now as ever but Monday’s are tough. The old body is wearing out. I plan to help with Lori’s golf tournament today and also visit hospitals. I have also agreed to meet with the Pastor Search Committee at Grace Point. I have no idea what will come of it. I know I do not want to go back to office hours and I can’t see us moving. I want God’s will and that is about all I know.
- An old friend was promoted in Athens yesterday. Lord willing, I will go up for the COLS on Wednesday. I am too tired to do more extra: have a great day and week.