Rest For A Weary Soul Daily Devotional - Monday, September 14, 2009
Praise the Lord and Good Evening,
We were richly blessed to attend a church convention in Indianapolis, Indiana last week. I had plans of writing a devotional during that time, but service was just too good to even focus on writing anything. I was in "soak mode"....I didn't want the weekend to end. So much transpired and quite a bit still stirs in my heart.
One incident happened though that I will share tonight. For several years now I've been promising to try a "treat" that some dear friends from Indiana have been raving about.....milk and cornbread (mixed together).....for those of you who have already indulged bear with me. Now I love milk and I love sweet cornbread, but nothing in my mind brings me to even consider eating (or is it drinking) them in concert.
I'd been able to avoid it for at least two/three years, but this year I was cornered. It happened very innocently to be honest. We'd hosted a dinner at our home a couple months ago and these Indiana friends were present. I cooked salmon and rice (which I found out they'd never had before)......They tried it and said, "Now that we've tried something we never had before, you need to do the same." Uh oh. I didn't see that one coming. I didn't want to try it because I'd already made up my mind what it was going to be......
Fast forward to last Saturday. I was hoping that everyone would forget about this concoction. I even prayed. I truly didn't want my taste buds to confirm my thoughts. I'd made it through a major portion of the day avoiding it, when suddenly, I heard someone call me.....I answered, not suspecting a thing. So I walked over to the person.....she held up a cup and that's when I knew! I had a piece of cake in my hand when the plea was made for me to make good on my word. The time had come.......I really didn't want to do this. They'd fulfilled their end just a few short months ago and now my time had come.
I watched as the styrofoam cup was filled up with milk. I watched as my friend crumbled the sugarless cornbread into the ice cold milk. She stirred the mixture a little, while others looked on talking about how good this was going to be. What an experience......they couldn't wait for me to find out just how good it is...how they enjoy it so much.....oh the comments! I didn't believe them. All I kept thinking about was how I wished I hadn't said anything about trying my salmon and rice. But it was too late.....and then the moment came when I was handed the cup. To be honest, I kept thinking, "Lord, please let me keep it down" and "This will make for a good devotional."
So I prayed again and took a teaspoonful of the lumpy liquid "stuff". I had my piece of cake nearby....that was my plan. Wash it down with something that can easily overpower the taste. Yes, I delayed it a few times.......but finally, I tasted it and you know what? After all of that talking about how good it was....after all of the years of trying to avoid it.....after all of the people who said it was absolutely wonderful.....I found out for myself!!!
You can listen all day long as saints talk about their own experience with walking with the Lord. There's nothing like finding out for yourself.......David knew that the Lord could keep him as a child....but then he made it to adulthood and he found out God could still keep you. Yes, I can tell you what cornbread and milk tastes like, but there's nothing like knowing for yourself. Don't do like I did and have an "idea"......yes, I thought I knew what it tasted like...but I didn't have the experience to say one way or another what it was like.....
The Bible says taste and see that the Lord is good......we can presume He's good......but wouldn't you rather Know without a doubt that He's good....and once you find out then you can go back for more.....you know He's good when you have things and when you don't.......that's why the Lord continues to bless His people with tests and trials because those things help you know for yourself just how good God is......it's nothing like knowing for yourself that God can sustain you when all the world seems to be against you.......you can draw from the first-hand account of God working when you sat at your table waiting on God to provide!! You can say with conviction that God does comfort those who've lost loved ones....you know what it's like to walk around stunned by the events of a seemingly endless day...and wake up the next morning with your mind in tact!! You know that you've experienced the power of the Holy Ghost pushing you when your flesh says give up........oh, it's nice to hear someone else talk about it, but when you can stand and agree (from personal experience) that going to college is doable.....when He paid your bills.....when you can sit down at a desk and make sense out of difficult equations.....and retain the information after praying and studying.......to be able to say I tried it for myself........that's what the Lord wants us to do......try Him in this. It might seem like a crazy concoction but if you put the Lord on it, He'll let you know for yourself what He is like in that......
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (Psalm 37:25 KJV)
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 66:13 KJV)
In the Master's Service,
Pastor Michele D. Turner
Rehoboth Apostolic Ministries, Inc.
Author/Publisher of Rest For A Weary Soul Daily Devotional
Copyright 2005 - 2009 www.restforawearysoul.com
Email: restforwearysoul@aol.com
Matt 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Becoming Daughters of Sarah: The Journey Women's Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. July 25, 2009 Go to http://becomingdaughtersofsarah.eventbrite.com to register!
Becoming Daughters of Sarah: The Journey Women's Conference in Dayton, OH., October 10, 2009.
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