caseylee82

Tonight Colliding Lights played at RHCCC at a coffee house thing. Jesse spoke about how people hate the church and love Jesus because the church has failed to go out and show the love of Jesus to the "outsiders".

During that time, the Spirit of God spoke deep within my heart about a few things.

One thing is that fact that I haven't been loving and honouring my parents as I should. I feel so tired these days and I'm not able to truly treat them with respect and give them the best. Plus, my love tank has run low. I need to believe and receive the love of Christ afresh that I may be compelled by His love to love others. I need Your energy, mind, heart and love to dig deep into another's mind and soul to listen, care and love them. Do this in and through me Abba.

Second thing is that I haven't been able to get my prep for "East Asia" thing rolling. By grace of God I've actually had some personal sharings with people. (Just an aside, I actually have two really good conversations with two different uncles from church. They shared about themselves, their view on God, their view on missions, their view on work and how it relates to God and their efforts of being a witness for Jesus at work and their strong convictions. Those talks were very refreshing. I felt that God ministered to both of us in those conversations. Very encouraging. Thank You Jesus). However, I need to step my game up and share with more people. I need to follow up on the people that I have shared. Also, the individual letters have not been fully completed and handed out yet. I feel like something is dragging me. It is like pulling a large stone. Holy Spirit lead the way, provide me with extra passion and perseverance. To You be the glory.

Lastly, I have not pursued Jesus deeply, or rather, I have not surrendered each morning and day to all of Him. Laziness, lack of sleep, work or just plain illusionary thinking has caused me to speed through the morning without slowing down to fix my attention and affection on my Creator and passionate Lover. Even after coming home from work or on my off days, my heart would do other things that seemed more "fun" or maybe just didn't require me to expend my energy in thinking, focusing and attending. But oh what foolishness! Isn't that what sin is? Isn't sin foolishness? Isn't it believing that God Himself and His ways is not good enough? Isn't it like choking ourselves, or chewing on glass pieces, or licking dirty toilet floors in China? It is so true that it is better to be one days in Your courts, Your presence than a thousand elsewhere. In reality, my heart and my flesh cry out for the Living God. My soul deep within yearns for the Bread of Life, Grace and Truth, Comforter, Counsellor, the Bridegroom. Holy Spirit, set my mind and heart to have discipline and desire, perseverance and passion to fix my scopes, my attention, my affection and my allegiance onto You each morning and ever so often.

I have not blogged since forever.  This is the first blog of mine since returning from HK to Toronto.  HK was an amazing learning time God gave me.  It will take another blog to record the things I have learned and experienced.

Coming back from HK, the adjustment wasn't that hard.  The weather was much colder and streets were not as vibrant with people walking around.  It was funny however when I bought food at the food court.  The food cost $3.99 and when the cashier person told me to pay $4.27, I asked her why was she charging me that when it was only $3.99.  I totally forgot that I had to pay tax.  HK is good in that buying food doesn't require tax or tip.

Upon arriving from HK, I had the privilege of helping out at TC and the retreat for our youth group.  It was great stuff which I will share later.  But in general I became quite lazy, passive and apathetic.  The immense time I had was spent on watching movies and surfing the net.  It wasn't that I didn't spend time with friends and doing other stuff.  But in general I felt like I was getting lazy and not being a good manager of the time that God has given me.  My relationship with God also suffered.  Just like all relationships, time is required for it to grow.  I spent little time, quantity and quality, in being still to focus my mind and heart on my Creator, Leader, Friend and Lover.  The consequence of that was that I became more lazy and struggled with sin, lust being my achilles heel.
On a side note, it seems that Biblically, women have contributed to men's great joy and also their greatest downfall.  In the beginning of Genesis, after God called everything He made good, He said that it was not good for men to be alone and that He would make Adam a suitable helper/partner.  This was before the fall or curse of mankind brought in by sin, and God called men being alone not God.  It truly reflects the nature of God.  We are made in His image and we need to be in connection with other people just like He is with Himself in the person of the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Throughout the Bible and history, women have  brought much joy and satisfaction to men.  We can see that in the Song of Solomon where we see too lovers passionate in love with each other and the feelings they felt.
However, women have also contributed to men's downfall.  King David was led with a noose to the slaughter by the enticement of naked Bathsheba.  He ended up having sex with a women who already had a husband, then he plotted to have the husband killed, then He lived in the unconfessed guilt, heaviness and shame of his sin for who knows how long (until the prophet Nathan confronts him).  Solomon along with many others throughout the Bible, had wives who worshipped foreign gods (our equivalent of marrying someone who doesn't allow Jesus to be the centre of their life).  They ended up worshipping someone or something other than the true Creator.   Samson let his guard down with Delilah and it led to break his covenant with God thereby loosing his power.

Sometimes I think, how can I have the power and ability to serve others and impact them for Jesus without a constant intimate deep relying relationship in God.  I think the truth is that we are never sinless or blameless before God.  Even on our best days when we do not feel like we have sinned, we really have sinned as even a little attitude of self-reliance is a sin.  Sometimes we think that if we read the Bible, pray, have a thankful attitude, love people that day, we are having a good day before God.  However, whether in so called bad or good days, we need the blood of Jesus to cover our sins.  We need to constantly live in, and draw from, His grace.  That is the good news, that though we act so utterly against God's ways everyday even without knowing it, we are forgiven, accepted, loved and cherished because in the sight of the Father, we get the credit of all the righteousness, purity and holiness of Jesus and Jesus bears the punishment and just wrath of our sins before our perfect God.

Nevertheless, God has graciously provided me with a job recently.  God has brought me to a new season as the old season with its worrying about finding a job and struggling with being lazy with my free time has faded away.  I work as a Service Specialist at Direct Buy where I help members find product info and pricing, I also help them to place orders for their products.  God has blessed me with great colleagues as they are generally quite patient, kind and caring.  Through having this job, I am understanding how much time and energy full time work takes.  I feel like my time is quite constrained and my energy is zapped after work.  I work Sat 9am-5pm so I miss out on much stuff during Saturdays.  Plus, being raised by my parents, I didn't understand the implications of making a living by working.  But I now realize that it is not easy, that it takes much hard work and that God is the source of all I need.

I am hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will bring me to a new season.  A season of winter to spring.  A season where the coldness of my heart, mind and soul will be melted by the warm intimacy of my Abba.  A season where the enslavement of sin will be abolished by constantly applying His truth and grace.  A season where desire and discipline in Jesus will be the norm.  A season where my eyes of faith are set on Him in the midst of the stormy trials.  A season where rest and refreshment is found constantly from our Hiding Place and Living Water.  A season where my love for Jesus and for people he has blessed me to be connected with will grow more unselfish and deeper.  A season where I can connect more intimately with other people so that there may be mutual encouragement, building up and strengthening in Jesus.  In Christ, everyday and every moment can be a new season, for His love is unfailing and His mercies are new each morning!

"I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.  The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them...Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD."
Ezekiel 34:26-27, 30-31

This is educational and entertaining at the same time www.coughsafe.com/media.html.   They present a serious issue in a over serious way thereby making it quite comedic.  I hope you ROFL but make sure to use your sleeves whe you drool...muhaha...

Feeling lonely?...

http://www.discoverthebook.org/message_detail.asp?fileid=1094

This movie is quite good.  It raises social awareness of the injustice that occurs because some people want to make money on diamonds at the cost of hurting others.  It's also good to watch with your soon to be wife because you can tell her that diamonds are evil and buy her glass ones instead...

Besides the obvious injustice, something really hit me after the movie.  *Spoiler warning*

The movie opens with the main character (Soloman) walking, talking and playing with his son (Dia).  He is captured by rebels and is separated from his son.  Later, the son is captured along with other children by the rebels and trained to be in the resistent army.  The rebels tell the children that their parents are dead, that their parents are a shame and no good.  They are told that they can win respect with the machine gun they now possess.  They are told that they can be of value and be better than their no good parents.  Each of them is given a new name.  Dia falls for the lies of the rebels and joins them in killing people and destroying villages.  Meanwhile, Soloman is searching for his lost son.  His heart is always thinking about his son.  All he can think of is finding his son back again so that he can protect him and be his father.  Eventually Soloman finds his son, but his son is so brainwashed by then that he ignores him.  He pushes him to the floor and calls him a traitor.  The rebels capture Soloman.  Near the end of the movie, there is a scene where Soloman, his son and another guy was alone in the jungle.  The son pointed the gun at Soloman.  Soloman with tears in his eyes asked his son what he was doing.  He reminisced back to their days together.  Soloman told his son "you are Dia, my son, a good student, a bright kid who is going to be a doctor someday, you mother and I love you, I will always love you, will you be my son and let me be your father?"

In many ways, I see His Story of redemption.  The enemy lies to Adam and Eve and to us today that our Father is not good enough.  He even lies to us that we can be better than our Father.  Meanwhile the Father is searching for us, He sweeps around the house for that lost coin, He leaves the ninety-nine to find us, He is waiting for us to believe that He is good, that He is better, that He is the best and return to Him.  Even after we run back to Him we stray at times and when that happens He reminds us of the experiences we had together with Him.  Everyday our Father is reminds us of our identity in Him.  We are his sons and daughters.   We are His workmanship, His creation.  He asks if we will let Him be our Father because we will always be His son.  He looks us in the eye, in the deepest part of the soul and He tells us that He loves us.  O that we "may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Eph. 3:18-19)

The the son drops the gun and steps toward the father with tears in his eyes.  The father kisses and embraces the son.  Who is the prodigal (wastefully or recklessly extravagant, lavishingly abundant)?  I think the Father is...How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 Jn 3:1)

http://www.fathersloveletter.com/fllpreviewlarge.html

Haha, good ol Drew stirring up mutton!  Watch his first and last interview on 100 Huntley street  www.drewmarshall.ca/huntley.html

Some quotes to think on...

"I think the success of a church is shown by the amount of ugly people in it" (meaning the more ugly hearts the better)

"The one thing I can say that Jesus has done for me is that He hasn't quit on me"

I listen to this dude's radio show regularly.  He has some interesting guests on the show.  I like him and I don't like him at the same time.  He loves the things that I am passionate about: vulnerability, brokenness, warmth and the poor and needy.  Plus, he is one funny guy haha, I know from personal experience as he went on the Compassion Advocate trip to Nicaragua that I was a part of two summers ago.  However, I personally think there are hints of bitterness against people of the church in him.  Much of it is justified.  However, I think in the act of his harshness, he has forgotten that, one, the church is God's redeemed, Christ body, saints (yes that's what Apostle Paul calls the church despite of their shortcomings, this is because our righteousness has NOTHING to do with how we behave but rather what Jesus did), two, that the church itself is just as broken, needy, sinful as he is.  But I think it is true that we should be more hard on the body than those outside the body.  Paul tells us to judge and discipline the church but never people outside of it.  Sometimes, I think he throws the baby with the bath water so to speak.  Much of his critique is warranted, but his answer to one extreme is another extreme.  Some things may not be bad in themselves he calls bad.  So in the act of his over-reaction, he has become like one the people he is accusing, arrogant, judgemental, better-than-thou.  Although he would not hesitate to admit that.  I think sometimes the way (means) his intentions are presented is fleshly rather than of the Spirit of Jesus.  Generally, I agree and appreciate all that Drew does on his show.   I love the brokenness, authenticity, transparency and vulnerability.  This should be promoted and encouraged more in the church.  I can feel and identify the pain and frustration of my brother and I would be the first to admit of my self-centeredness and weakness.  May Jesus continue to bring healing in my brother and cause him to love the people of the church because of their shortcomings.

Finally have a chance to journal after intense month of December with 4 events!

Various things have pieced together my new year's resolution can be summarized by one word: commitment.

I think I struggle with being disciplined and committed.

Recently I read a chapter titled "The Discipline of Commitment" from the book The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges.  There are so many convicting quotes in there and it reminded me of the importance of commitment and how it can be achieved in the grace of Jesus. 

I've been like a solider that takes breaks in the middle of the war.  I haven't been alert and self-controlled even though the enemy is roaming around with an M-16 waiting to destroy me when I let my guard down (1 Pet. 5:8).  I haven't been pleasing my command officer but rather been pleasing myself, getting involved with civilian affairs while bullets are whizzing by and grenades are tossed my way (2 Tim. 2:4). 

 "When we sin we are more vexed at the lowering of our self-esteem than we are grieved at God's dishonor.  We are surprised and irritated at our own lack of self-control in subjecting ourselves to unworthy habits...The first cause of this is self-love, which is unable to stand the disappointment of not seeing ourselves in time of trial come out beautiful, erect, and admirable." Federick W. Faber

Today, I am making a renewed resolution to make it my goal and my aim to please God each day (2 Cor. 5:9).  To live for Him and not for myself because I was bought by the very blood of the One who created me and loves me.

"Frequently renew settled and holy resolutions.  A solider unresolved to fight may easily be defeated...The weakness of our graces, the strength of our temptations, and the diligence of our spiritual enemies, require strong resolutions." Stephen Charnock

Life is short.  God has blessed me thus far with health and energy.  I must resolve to use every moment for His glory and kingdom of earth.

"Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die." Jonathan Edwards

So yes, by the grace of God and the exercise of my choice, I want to commit myself wholly to Jesus Christ each moment. 

"And if you will here stop, and aks yourself, why you are not as [holy] as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance, nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it...This doctrine does not suppose, that we have no need of divine grace, or that it is in our own power to make ourselves perfect.  It only supposes, that throught the [lack] of a sincere intention of pleasing God in all our actions, we fall into such irregularities of life, as by the ordinary means of grace, we should have power to avoid." William Law

"It is the intention to please God in all our actions that is the key to commitment to a life of holiness.  If we do not make such a commitment to obedience without exception, we will constantly find ourselves making exceptions.  We will have a 'just one more time' syndrome in our lives.  But the truth is, the 'one more tim' manner of thinking undermines our commitment.  Every time we give in to a temptation, even though it may seem small and insignificant to us, we make it easier to give in the next time." Jerry Bridges

"Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness" (Rom. 6:19).  Thus I need to I need to make a commitment to put on Christ character.  "Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Col 3:12)

Specifically I want to commit myself to certain things, all which can be derived from this passage...

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:3-9

I commit myself daily to knowing God.  He has given me everything I need for life and godiness.  This is accessed by my knowledge of Him.  Knowledge from my intellect, emotion and experience.  How this cultivated is through His precious and very great promises, which can be found only in His Word.  Thus, I resolved to read, chew on, digest and assimilate the Word of God.  But I don't want to be like the Pharisees and search scriptures thinking that in them there is life.  I want to be able to come closer to the Bread of Life through the scriptures and convesing with Him about it through prayer so that I may know Him more intimately.  Only by this can I be set apart and be represent Jesus to all.

I commit myself daily to preaching the gospel to myself.  I want to remind myself of all that Jesus did on the cross so that my conscience is clear and I can boldly approach the throne of grace.  Those who lack the qualities of 2 Peter 1, of faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love are nearsighted and blind, they have forgotten that they have been cleansed from their former sins.  How true that not really believing and accepting that God has forgiven me will cause me to be ineffective and unfruitful in my knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.

I commit myself daily to being thankful and grateful.  I want to thank God for at least 5 things each day.  I want to do the will of God by giving thanks in all circumstances (1 Thes. 5:18).  There is always something to be thankful for.  I think that when I'm thankful and grateful I begin living by faith and not by sight believing the goodness and truth of God.  In addition, it is much harder to sin when I'm overflowing with thanksfulness and delight in God.

Will I fail to achieve the above and obey His ways?  Most certainly!  However, in a battle, some soliders will always be hit, but every one of them makes it their aim not to be hit.  To have a lesser aim would be foolish.  It is not different for me in the very real spiritual battle. 

In the light of the unfailing love of the Father, the power of the Holy Spirit and the very life of Christ in me, I want to train and discipline like an athelete and fight and be alert like a solider to do the above.  His grace is enough!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Cor. 9:24-27

I think God is shedding some light on my possible role in China.  I have a heart for the people of China. 

Came across the website of an organization called The Traveling Team, and read an article www.thetravelingteam.org/2000/world/12.shtml (Louie supports these guys!) which gave me a better idea of my role in world missions.

There are 5 ways to be involved with God's global plan of reaching everyone on earth:
Going
Praying
Sending
Welcoming
Mobilizing

Going is out stereotype missionaries who physically go to a country and city to bring Jesus' message and kingdom.  "Ultimately, the goer is willing to completely immerse themselves in an unfamiliar culture with the intention of furthering the gospel in that culture. They are innovative, low maintenance, steadfast, and persevere with little fellowship."  I think I would be willing to immerse myself in China and be innovative and low maintenace.  However, being steadfast and persevering with little fellowship is quite tough for me.

Praying for God to advance His plans and cause throughout the world.  I could do this but I don't think I am consistent and persistent enough in my intercessions sometimes.

Sending, not my forte as I don't have loads of money.  Money is only one aspect however, sending also involves organizing, administering, coordinating, researching and communicating.   I do feel much joy when I can offer support in sending someone.  However, I feel this may not be more strength.

Welcoming is making new immigrants or visitors welcome in your own country.  I'd be glad to do it, but my gift is not in hospitality.

Mobilizing, note below from article...

Mobilizing: A mobilizer is a normal, everyday Christian who walks with God, yet has a global perspective and stays on the home front to rouse others to action. Anyone who has a vision for the world has at one time been mobilized. Whether someone asked them to go on a short-term trip, invited them to a missions conference, took them to a Bible study on the topic or introduced them to a missionary, somehow they were recruited. And that, in a nutshell, is a mobilizer, a recruiter. Mobilizers are out looking for others to enlist in God's agenda with their entire life. Their focus is Christians who are unaware of God's global plan and they consistently seek to raise the missions awareness in creative ways whether it is in a small group or large group setting. Like Habakkuk, they "Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that the one who reads it may run" (Hab. 2:2).

A friend of mine has a saying that I have adopted. "Every Christian a World Christian and every World Christian a mobilizer." Think about the awesome potential in that statement. Every Christian is orchestrating their life around God's heart for the world and fulfilling the Great Commission and at the same time passing on that vision to the new believers and next generation. Unbelievable!

So what exactly are the characteristics of a mobilizer? Bill Stearns and Bob Sjogren lists 10:

1. Needs to be able to be a servant.

2. Desires to see laborers raised up to finish the task of world evangelization.

3. Possibly has the gift of encouragement and exhortation.

4. Is "apt to teach" but may be more effective in recruiting others to teach.

5. Speaks in front of groups without (too much) fear.

6. Leads others well.

7. Has a general heart for the world, possibly focusing in on one people group.

8. Sees the priority of waiting and mobilizing others as well as going.

9. Is part visionary - seeing what can happen as God matches empowered believers with key opportunities of ministry.

10. Is part implementer - driven to see a vision become a reality.

Whether it is just the right missions book or a short video, magazine, agency, prayer profile, etc. you need to be able to show others resources. I can remember when I was in college gathering my own collection of tools. I labeled a manila folder "Mobilization Resources." Now it fills two filing cabinets! Part of being equipped with resources is being a networker. You will need to know what God is doing and who He is doing it with. I challenge anyone trying to cultivate their mobilization skills to help others collect and learn how to use the resources and material available in missions. As they are collecting and learning this material they are building a confidence that will enable them to teach others.

The mobilizer is a key player in the process of raising up laborers. It takes a burning heart for the world and yet a willingness to stay. It has happened to every World Christian and every World Christian can do it!

I think I meet 8 of the 10 characteristics of a mobilizer.  So maybe God would have me focus on being a mobilizer?

What is the Father's role for you in the ministry of reconciling people all over the world back to Him?

The book of Psalms is one of my favourite books of the Bible.  Deep authentic emotions are expressed by the authors.  His Spirit uses it to help me see the truth of my own feelings and thoughts, some which I may have pushed away subconsciously for various reasons.  Through the Psalms, I learn how to trust God and worship Him when going through fear, danger, discouragement, depression, anxiety, loneliness and sin.  Through meditating on the Psalms, I am also reminded of the attributes of God and the goodness He has personally shown to me.  As a result, the Psalms help me to worship, love and trust Abba Father in every situation and phase of my life.

The Spirit filled my soul with much life through an article I just read www.discoverthebook.org/message_detail.asp?fileid=1088.  Take time to read the whole thing (better this way because get the whole unified message in context) and turn to the referenced Psalms and meditate on it while reading the article.  Here is a little interesing exerpt on Psalm 23 applies to work.
There are some given names that stick and stay. Take for instance how many people still Xerox documents although they have never seen a Xerox copier; the same for hand me a Kleenex, even though it is far from being made by Kleenex. But the use of that name has spread to the entire usage of that action. We see something similar when God puts a title on people.  

• When I say the Friend of God many of us may want and hope to be but that is what God calls Abraham.
• Similarly the Apostle John will always be the one that Jesus loved. That is his special title given in God's Word, and what God says sticks.
• Moses was the one that we know got to know God face-to-face and he was also the meekest man on earth. It is hard to shake such a handle when God puts it on you.
• As we come to the end of David's life God identifies him by a special title, he says that David was a man after God's own heart. 

As far as we know David didn't hear that title; that is just how God saw his life long obedience. What do you have in your life that God sees? What life long habits does He admire about you?

David compounded his investment in God. David cultivated a life long desire to seek the Lord in every avenue of life. So should we.  

A great way to start is to do what David did. There are three general areas David sought the Lord while at work, when in danger and fear, and when he was discouraged and depressed. Let's start with seeking God at work since most of us spend a long time each week working.
Seeking God when at work is Psalm 23.

Have you ever thought of where David was when he made on of his greatest discoveries about God? He was young, alone, and at work! What does Samuel tell us was his job? He was a shepherd boy. So he worked outdoors with sheep.

Seeking God all through life would mean that David would have to start on the job looking at what he did through the eyes of God, and seeing God's Hand in all he did. What I just described is maybe the best known of all the Psalms, the 23rd!

As a boy, David decided to seek God while at work each long day and night. From his earliest days on the hillsides as a shepherd, David sought God. He looked at life, even a life as lonely, monotonous, and mundane as watching sheep with such a God heartedness that just his reflections on seeking God as a shepherd are immortal.  

Who could ever look on the lowliest job of the day (being a shepherd) in the same way as before once David showed how he viewed his job? Through Psalm 23 we find that to David the seeker of God, the Lord became his [my] shepherd.  

He looked at himself and saw that he was just like a weak, helpless and often confused lamb. And if he a mere human child could care for sheep and meet all of their earthly needs how much more would the Lord be sure that David shall not want.

From the desolation and barrenness of the arid desert David could believe that he could have so much provision that he could lie down in green pastures. Instead of anxiously eating as if there would never be enough, he could quietly rest satisfied.

Facing the deadly thirst of the wilderness, David saw that seeking God meant that he would always be led by waters that are stilled and drink in peace and safety. As a boy he saw that an anxious sheep was prone to sickness and injury so he always made his sheep feel safe and secure so the Lord as he entrusted his life into His care restored his soul.

When tempted to displease the Lord or dishonor Him David thought about how he led his sheep so he asked the Lord to lead him in paths of righteousness for the sake of God's Name. Even in the narrow canyons where a sheer vertical drop meant certain death for any sheep and so there was no place to go in a predator showed up, the sheep could completely trust the shepherd who was guarding as well as guiding them so that yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou are with me.

Thinking about God at work also made David look down at his tools and see that God's rod and staff could comfort him, just as his tools were used for the protection and correction of his flock.

Even when enemies were prowling all around the shepherd kept them at such a distance by his sling and staff that a weak and timid lamb could be confident enough to put its head down in the grass where it couldn't see what was going on and just trust the shepherd. So David accepted that God prepared a table for David so that even in the most anxious times David could resort to trusting God and eat in the presence of my enemies.

Although his enemies never left him alone for his entire life time, David had his eyes opened do that as he looked back at life he saw in every trouble, every struggle and every pain was covered with God's tracks because surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Most sheep never realize how much the shepherd does for them but David decided he was going to look back and see just how great it was to have God always directing and leading in each situation for the glory and good of God.

And finally just as David for all those years always had a safe and secure place prepared each night for his flock to rest in complete security and comfort. So David as the years passed swiftly by he could also rest assured that at the exactly perfect moment he also would head home and dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

David had a life long pursuit of God and he started by seeing God while he was at work. Have you started looking for the Lord in His Word and carrying Him in your heart and mind all day long?

So in the midst of a hard life, a life of stress, a life of constant demands, a life on the run and a life of endless struggles�  David chose to make regular, long term investments in seeking God.

Let's practice a long obedience in seeking God =)