For I have kept the ways of the LORD,and have not wickedly departed from my God.
(Psalm 18:21 ESV)
I need to be more like David. I cannot make such a bold statement. Can you? There are times I have not taken the time to say hello to my LORD in the morning, nor carved out a few minutes in my day to pray for others. There have been times I ignored that small “other voice” and said, “No I can’t do that.” I have departed from His ways. But, like the prodigal, or more like the puppy who know she has chewed the carpet, I return, head down, tail between my legs and ask for forgiveness. And He dearly forgives me because He so dearly loves me. That goes for you, too.
Last night I didn’t depart. In a meeting I attend weekly, I listened to a lady I barely knew talk about how she’d spilled water into her computer by mistake and ruined it. They are facing hard times and she couldn’t afford a new one. Then, she said she prays by typing and keeps a prayer journal in her computer. As a writer, that pierced my heart. I thought of the old lap top I had under my desk at home, collecting dust. My son had given me a little netbook for Christmas, but I hadn’t decided what to do with this old one. It didn’t have anything of value on it, except a picture for the screen saver I wanted to download and save onto my desktop. But, could I trust her? That small voice said, “Do it.”
After the meeting she followed me home and I gave her the laptop to use as long as she needed. She began to cry and told me how much she needed it, but also needed a friend her age. She witnessed to me about how she had drawn closer to God in the past year and had seen Him answer so many prayers for her, that on the way to the meeting she had confidently prayed God would provide. That pierced my heart again.
I found out she lives close to my apartment complex. And, she loves cats. I had been praying to find someone to care for my cats when I go on a missionary trip this summer. I think God answered several prayers last night.
It brought me once again to my knees, asking forgiveness for being anxious lately about things in my life and not trusting Him more. I had departed from my God, and He lovingly drew me back. He does that to us because He loves us so dearly, and He thirsts for our company as much, if not more, than we thirst for His. How awesome is that? The Creator of the Universe wants to spend time with me – and with you. The more I dwell on that, perhaps the last likely I will be a dearly departed one in the future. How about you?
