“I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset Your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing My purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let Me do the talking. Let Me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of You; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”?” (Job 42:1-6 MSG)
Happy Thanksgiving Day! I hope your day is marvelous, and if you think it is not all that, redirect your thoughts and merely think of the marvelous ways that the Lord miraculously intervened in your life.
Speaking of the Lord’s intervening, I have to share how one of our readers, an erudite pastor, an academic achiever, a theological master, and one, who by his own account, one who responded. In regard to yesterday’s subject, “The Released,” he said, “More than anything, I’ve been released from my own intellectuality, which had turned into worldly arrogance.” Wasn’t that a deep response? Well, I thought so, and it caused me to reflect on it more. As a matter of fact, his early morning response served as my meditation for the day. The table was turned. I had become the primary reader of a profound thought worth thinking about further.
Of course, I thought about Job who God put in his place when it comes to knowing. After a series of questions that started with such words as, “Can you,” “Do you know,” “Where were you,” and “Have you ever in your life.” You can see from the verses above that Job was released from his own intellectuality, as well as the impressions put on his mind by his so-called friends.
After the Lord’s two speeches in the latter part of Job, speeches that revealed that Job’s mind and power cannot contend with His, Job realized that truth, repented, and towards the end of The Book of Job, the Lord blessed his latter days more than his beginning. If nothing but a clear conscience, repentance brings about blessings.
See what happens when you are released from your intellectuality? Well, as you give thanks today, petition the Lord to release you in the same way as he released the reader who inspired this meditation and Job. And then, ask Him to restore what you have lost, just as Job experienced. Look at the eventual blessing you will realize. They may not be materialistic, but they might be in regard to a faltering relationship. Your blessing may be a renewed trust in the Lord that should have never faded or failed. Your blessing may be that of a revival of your joy, or perhaps your blessing will be that going forward, you will not try to figure things out without consulting the all-knowing mind of God like you used to do. Consider yourself released from your own intellectuality.
I’ve kept you too long probably. You have some cooking to do, some turkeys to bake, some hams to baste every half hour per pound, some mouthwatering desserts make, and if nothing else, some eating to do, some helping to do, and at the top of your list, some giving thanks to the Lord to do! Find delight in your day my dear friend! Enjoy time with family, friends, or if no one else with our eternal friend, Jesus! You see you are not friendless. There is one of whom we say, “What a friend we have in Jesus.” Let’s see a smile! Fill your space with laugher in your place. Be blessed!
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (I Corinthians 1:25 NIV)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King