"I Have No Good Apart From You"

     Last night I was reading through Psalm 16.  I think this one is becoming a favorite.  I love the verses, and as I read God brings to mind other verses.  It's really cool how there is SO much life in each individual verse in Scripture and yet it all fits together like one big puzzle!

Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;    I have no good apart from You.”  Psalm 16:1-2  ESV

     I can go to so many other things to try and take refuge from the storms of life.  But only God is a true refuge in times of trouble.  Praying verse one really helps me to remember to go only to Him.  There are so many other verses in Psalms that correspond with this one.  Psalm 27:1 and 118:6 are favorites (you should take a minute to grab your Bible and read them, even though you're probably familiar with them).  I also like meditating through Psalm 18.
     "LORD" when in all caps in the English Bible means "YHWH," often pronounced, "Yahweh."  The proper translation is "He is" (third person).  I love it whenever I read this because "He is" holds so much meaning.  You could say, "He is . . . what?  He is love?  He is forgiving?  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever?  He is forever-present?"  Well, yes . . . but He is so much MORE than that!  He . . . is.  He just is.  He is more than my words will ever say.  ♥
     Last of all, "I have no good apart from You" is a really strong statement.  Often my Christian life doesn't reflect this.  There are things in this world I can feel like I can't live without.  But the truth is that apart from Christ I have nothing good!  This also acknowledges that I cannot bring myself good.  I do not . . . cannot bring good bring good to anyone, including myself.  I am not good.  There is nothing good in me.  This brings to mind a passage from John 15:

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  John 15:4-5

     Perhaps the God's spiritual giants never become less weak or less dependent on God.  Perhaps spiritual giants are those who are most aware of their own weakness and dependency on God.  For God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

Child-Like Trust

     Over a series of chairs, I watched as a young person approached a dad holding two little boys in each of his arms.  As the he drew within reach, one of the little boys decided that he wanted be held by this person, and so he literally fell into this unsuspecting person's arms.  :)  I smiled to myself as I watched the person scramble to get a good grip, and not let the little boy fall.

     I love the picture this little boy demonstrated of trust.  He wasn't frightened, thinking about the "what-if"s.  He did not think about the possibility that this person might not be able to catch him.  Instead, he simply trusted, and "jumped" right over.
In the same way, we must become like a child when it comes to trusting God.  We must trust that God will simply catch us if we fall.  In fact, if we trust God, we have His promise that He will never let us fall, and yet it is so easy for us to doubt.
When God shows us His will for our lives, how many of us simply "jump right in" with complete trust in our heavenly Father?  So many times, it's easy to call upon our experiences in the past, and be concerned about the logistical detail.  We think about the "what-if"s.

     Another time I saw a dad sitting on the floor, and his two-year-old son was climbing like a monkey, up his daddy's back and onto his shoulder.  This little boy was having the most fun... until he slipped off his daddy's shoulder, and nearly landed head-first on the floor.  His daddy did manage to catch him, but not quite knowing what was going on, the boy started to cry.  His daddy then had to spend a full minute soothing him, and telling him that it was "a good thing Daddy caught you, otherwise, you would have you hit your head.  But Daddy caught you, so you're okay."  Finally this boy realized, and happily went off to play again.

     How honestly this example can be applied to our spiritual lives, too.  In a slightly different way, how many times do we cry, having pity on ourselves for our weakness and failures, when all the while our heavenly Father is ready to hold us, carry us, and catch us when we fall... if we would only let Him?  Or other times, like the boy, we are confused, mentally or emotionally, and instead of trusting that God will always work everything for the very best, and that God will always, always catch us when we fall, we distress.

     Are you thinking about the what-if's, instead of jumping into God's will for your life?
Are you crying in confusion, or singing amid your confusion, because you are focusing your eyes on the great love that the sovereign Creator of the universe has shown you, and continues to show you?

     Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB