Goodness & Love
Psalm 23
This excerpt continues from a message titled, “The Skill Saw Father”
I gave this message on 5-13-11 at Christ Community Church near Atlanta. This message launched a four-week men’s study group around the S&U film guidebook.
In this excerpt, I delve into Psalm 23 and Davids revelation of an always good and loving Father.
Jason Clark is a writer, speaker and lead communicator at A Family Story ministries. His mission is to encourage sons and daughters to grow sure in the love of an always-good heavenly Father. He and his wife, Karen, live in North Carolina with their three children.
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super hooray! I can follow THIS kind of God! GOOD NEWS! That's what He TOLD us to preach…why aren't we?! Thanks, Jason! God bless you & the fam! For this kind of good news re: a GOOD God, I'll even live without a vacuum cleaner for the rest of my life, LOL! 😀
Yeah!!! I can follow this kinda God too! I pray breakthrough over you. A fresh season filled with promise and the wonder of His goodness! Bless ya
Love what you say: David was a man who understood risk. He understood faith.
Thx, I receive the prayers 4 breakthru. I feel I am on the verge of a new season. Here's something I wrote to a discouraged friend 2day: "Had a real blessing yesterday (May 29): 4 the past 2 yrs it's been a sad day (the day guy I thot I'd marry & minister w/broke up w/me), but God chose that very day this yr to heal my heart & breathe new hope in2 me! Ps. 107:20 says He sends forth His WORD & heals us, so He'll use His word to initiate healing. The word He gave me was "what father is there of you that, if his child asked for bread, would give a stone? If you..know how 2 give good gifts 2 your children, how MUCH MORE will your HEAVENLY FATHER give GOOD THINGS to those who ask Him?" A friend said that not only would our Daddy not give us a stone when we ask 4 bread, but even when we are asking 4 a stone, our Father will give us bread! God just flooded my heart w/His joy yesterday & hopeful expectancy…He is going 2 do something just WONDERFUL & I want my story, 2 be a GOD-story…not an "I couldn't wait" story! My own earthly father, who does'nt know God, deeply desires 4 me 2 not only get married, but 2 marry a good man who LOVES JESUS, so how much more does my heavenly Abba desire for me?! This morn. as I drove 2 wk I was dwelling on those verses & how Daddy wants 2 give me Bread, not a stone, and He gave me further revelation…When satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (which I am in, right now, but the cool thing is, it was the SPIRIT that led Jesus into the wilderness…so I know He is here with me!), the 1st temptation was "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread…" In other words, "Oh, really, you are the Son of God? Is this how God treats His kids? Look at you! You're tired, lonely & hungry & your "Daddy" hasn't provided for you. Why don't you just take matters into your own hands & make bread out of stones?" That's how he's been attacking me in my wilderness! "You're really God's child? Why have you waited so long & He's not provided for you? You've trusted with a child-like heart & it's clear He's not going to give you bread. Why don't you make your own? Turn these stones into bread." In other words, doubt the Father's love & faithfulness to His Word & just take matters into my own hands…just take a "stone" and try to make it bread. I say the same thing my Jesus said, "Get lost, satan! IT IS WRITTEN, 'Man does not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that comes out of the mouth of God!' The insinuation is, "See how you've loved & served Him & only wanted 2 do things His way…and look where that has gotten you. Others are being blessed, even compromising, and you're just waiting on Him in vain…" Ouch! But I know that the One who suffered something as horrible as the cross for ME will NEVER leave me or forsake me! "He who spared not His only Son but delivered Him up for us all, how would He not, with Him, FREELY give us ALL things?!" Simply put, my Daddy has NOT forgotten me (even if it looks/feels like it), waiting on His timing/way is NEVER in vain (even if it looks/feels like it) & HE WILL GIVE BREAD! I also love that after Jesus endured the wilderness, God sent angels to minister to Him. I believe He will do that for me! Just had to share all of that to say that He is worth the wait! Perhaps, like when Daniel prayed, the answer is on the way & we don't see the warfare going on in the heavenly realms, so we need to just put on the armor of God & stand! He's NEVER late! 🙂 This helped me a lot 2 not be mad at God, at Shane or at myself…God's not EVER going to withhold BREAD from His beloved kids! So, I can rest in that.
Bill, Yes and Amen, David is one of my favorites! I see you are teaching on the nature of God, that's my favorite thing to talk about! Lord bless!
Nina, what a beautiful letter, such crazy cool revelation! I love your heart and am honored to have a peak into what God is showing you. There's a reason its called the good news eh?! I will agree with you on this new season!On another note, I received my copy of the audio book Friday, its sounds like a real audio book, ha, well done.Lord bless!
God gave me some even sweeter stuff, which I'll share later, but suffice it to say isn't it a relief to know the GOOD NEWS…God isn't mad at us?! 🙂 I remember reading in Hannah Whitall Smith's book, 'The God of All Comfort,' that if only all the preachers (& this was nearly 2 centuries ago!) would simply preach what they are commissioned to preach, the GOOD NEWS…!" Amen!Thanks for sharing your heart, pastor Bill!Glad you liked the audio, Jason!And….GO CANUCKS!!! :-)(actually, I don't care too much about tomorrow since the Coyotes aren't in it. 🙁 Yes, I like Shane Doan! :-D)
Just read this crazy, wild poem/prayer I had to share: Dangerous Prayers "Deliver us, O God, O Truth, O Love, from quiet prayerfrom polite and politically correct language,from appropriate gesture and formand whatever else we think we must put forth to invokeor to praise You. Let us instead pray dangerously -wantonly, passionately.Let us demand with every ounce of our strength,let us storm the gates of heaven, let us shake up ourselvesand our plaster saints from the sleep of years. Let us pray dangerously.Let us throw ourselves from the top of the tower,let us risk a descent to the darkest region of the abysslet us put our head into the lion's mouthand direct our feet to the entrance of the dragon's cave. Let us pray dangerously.Let us not hold back a little portion,dealing out our lives — our precious minutes and ourenergies – like some efficient accountant.Let us rather pray dangerously – unsafe, profligate, wasteful! Let us ask for nothing less than the Infinite to ravage us.Let us ask for nothing less than annihilation in theFires of Love. Let us not pray in holy half-measures nor walkthe middle pathfor too longbut pray madly, foolishly.Let us be too ecstatic,let us be too overwhelmed with sorrow and remorse,let us be undone, and dismembered…and gladly. Left to our own devices, ah what structures of deceitwe have created;what battlements erected, what labyrinths woven,what traps set for ourselves, and thenfallen into. Enough. Let us pray dangerously – hot prayer, fierce prayer,fiery prayer, improper prayer,exuberant prayer, and completely unrealistic prayer. Let us say Yes, again and again.And Yes some more.Let us pray dangerously. the most dangerous prayer is Yes."Regina Sara RyanWoman Prayers "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;O Lord, hear my voice.Let Your ears be attentive tomy cry…I wait for theLord, my soul waits, and inHis Word I put my hope.Wait and watch for God.With God's arrival comes love,With God's arrival comesgenerous redemption."Psalm 130: 1-8The Message
Beautiful! That's a dangerous prayer. Wow, so good and challenging. Beautiful.
Yes, I realized I'd gotten weary in the battle…you know, that wounded soldier stuff…& I stopped praying dangerous prayers.Thankfully, Abba knows I could only stand so much polite religion before I cried out, "whoa, what am I doing HERE?!"Back to the danger zone…and I wouldn't have it any other way!!!