“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace; may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; may there be no cry of distress in our streets! Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!” (v1-4,12-15)
Do you ever have those days where you wake up so tired that you can’t concentrate or even see clearly? Those days where your eyes don’t feel right and you stare at something for several seconds before your brain finally registers what you’re looking at? Those days where you can’t remember how to turn a key the proper way, or complete a simple task you’ve done many times before? That’s me this morning.
That is not what David’s describing, however. David describes the Lord’s blessing as powerful and sustaining for him and the people of Israel. His hands are strengthened, Israel’s sons are strong and fruitful, their daughters are integral and supportive, and their herds hearty and numerous. The blessing David describes/requests is bountiful and flawless, creating an ideal scenario for all of Israel. The great news is, God longs to bless us in these, and many more ways.
So why don’t I feel blessed when I can barely manage to make a cup of coffee (which I’ve done thousands of times so I should be good at it)? Possibly because I have not yet rooted myself in God in that present moment. From where does strength come? God. How about wisdom? God. Ability to focus and concentrate? God. To seek these things elsewhere is to go through life (or at least the first hour of the day) on our own insufficient strength/wisdom/focus. I know from experience what I bring to the table is not anywhere near sufficient to fulfill God’s calling each day. Only He can provide that which I need to obey Him.
The solution? Drink more coffee (so the world would say). In reality, the solution is drawing near to the one true source, the purest of places where our Rock and Fortress can provide for us that which He longs to give us. All we need to do is surrender to Him so He can work in and through us (this works way better if we go to Him voluntarily, He doesn’t like to force us to come to Him, He respects our power of choice). Let’s start our day off right by immersing ourselves in God’s presence (and maybe sip a coffee while doing that).
Father God, our Shield, our Fortress, and our Rock, we honor and praise You. You deliver us from our own shortcomings, and bless us so abundantly and in so many ways we cannot thank You enough. You bless us with provision, protection, and most of all Your presence. Thank you for being our words and wisdom, an ever-present help in trouble. Please help us to fully surrender ourselves to You, every hour of every day, so that we may serve You. If You choose to bless us for our obedience, we thank You. If You don’t choose to bless us with more than Your presence, we still thank You. May You not only bless us, but those around us as well, bringing fruitfulness and prosperity to Your kingdom. To You be all honor, glory and praise, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training