He is wooing you from the jaws of distressThere is something to the word of God that really has me thinking alot about my life. Right now, I am absolutely blessed with some incredible family members. I am writing this from the Ten Mile Ranch in Nebraska. This isn't the childhood home for my wife Amy, but it is now the headquarters for the Wegner family. What was once a farm in the northwest, is now a bussling six person cattle ranch in Nebraska. They are far too understaffed to run the day to day operations, but some how Amy's father, Terry, is absolutely a super hero on the ranch. There is a certain twinkle to everyone's eye when they talk about him, and they know that as long as he gets up in the morning, he'll get all the jobs done.
to a spacious place free from restriction,
to the comfort of your table laden with choice food - Job 36:16
Personally, I don't know how he does it, but my father is the same way, at the age of sixty-three, he gets up and gets going. He's retired from his "main job" at the Suffolk County Water Authority, but he still runs his three hundred account sprinkler business with very little help. He puts a twinkle in our eyes when we talk about him as well. There is something about surrender that is to be learned from them both. God always deals the cards and knows how the game will be played, and it is up to us to play the hand delt to us. If you think in terms of poker, then you'll find that you can play hard and try to bluff hard, or you can stop playing and fold.
Wise men such as our fathers, know how to play with the hand they have been delt. They approach it slow and steady and react appropriately to every situation. I still need to learn this. I have been in a surrender mode the past two plus months because of my new employment situation, but now that I am comfortable with my situation, I find myself anxious about things and wanting to do more and more every waking hour. I know that the next two-three months I have to work my three jobs and keep my physical sanity. At the same time keep fighting to get closer to God.
This makes me grateful for being home. I have a gaurantied thirty to forty minutes that I can dedicate to reading my Bible, because I ride the bus five times a week. I love that, and I missed that since I left the campus ministry. I can not believe how much I can let stuff get in there and just clutter up my time. I find when I make trips away from home, I don't make that time happen. I become a function of some one else's time, or should I say, I am a variable for some one else?
But that is ultimately what this scripture is about, surrender and blessings. I find it fitting some one like me likes this scripture, because it mentions a table laden with food. I love food, I believe that food is the answer to life's toughest situations. It is also something one should not waste their time on. I believe, with no expertice, God has us sacrafice animals and grain to remind us not to gain security in what eat, rather be grateful what he has allowed us to keep for our enjoyment. Also, food is one of those things if you eat poorly, you'll regret it. We all hate wasting our time and it takes time to eat food, so why would we allow ourselves to eat bad food. God grants us this blessing to enjoy so much, even peace. This peace should never loose to the anxiety of wasting time or effort on something so important as sustaining our lives.
Maybe, this food mentioned isn't just what you eat, but rather what you choose to fill the holy spirit inside you. Even though the word of God is finite, it can keep us sustained to the point that we can over feed ourselves on the word and become spiritualy guarded from the world. I mean we have our Jesus blinders and not allow ourselves to feel the pain those keep searching for God. It is what I call keeping your head down plowing through. Stop for a moment, see the word that is living and activce and allow it to just pierce through your heart and set it a blaze to burn your heart with the intentions of the spirit within you.
