There are those who go through life
accustomed to having the best, buying only the best. We encourage our children
to do their best. Truth be told, sometimes we want to be the best. We feel the
sting of not being able to afford the best- of not being able to give our
children the best, only good. But is it possible that good can be, and is, good
enough?
The NIV hosts 43 verses using the
term “good things.” I just read through
all 43 and it blew my “superlatives-only” gasket. Psalm 34: 8-10 instructs me:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in
Him. Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing…those
who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” That is a no holds barred promise. Those
who seek the Lord lack no good thing. The
openendedness of the verse leaves it to the reader to imagine: what good thing
am I lacking? Our Father who spoke the verse into being placed no limitation on
having the good things but one. The limitation is not on the number of good
things. The qualifier is not on the one who seeks. The qualifier on having the
good things is on the good thing for whom the seeker seeks. If we seek the
Lord, and not just the things of his hand, we will, indeed, already have every
good thing.
Not too long ago we hosted a two
year old overnight. It has been several years since we have had a toddler
overnight and so my children spoiled her. Whatever she wanted was not too much.
Watch the same movie five times? Sure.
Eat ice cream for dinner? Sure. Cookies for dessert? Absolutely. Carry her from
room to room on the shoulders? Sure. Nothing was too much for her. Treats?
Sure. On Sunday, when we were supposed to deliver this sugar laden child back
to her father, her heart’s desire was reflected in her question as soon as she
walked into church: “where’s daddy?” If her daddy had met her grizzled,
scruffy, in his pajamas and with the worst morning breath-he would have been
enough for this child. He needed no treat in his hand. He needed no toy in his
backpack to offer her. He was enough. In fact, I think, had he not been there
and we had tried to buy her calm with treats and sweets, she would have seen
right through our ploy. I do believe that her question would have raised the
roof: “Where’s daddy?”
In the midst of our hard times,
painful circumstances, we whisper to Him: “You are my daddy; apart from you I
have no good thing.” (Psalm 16:2). He whispers back to us, with accents sweet
and clear: Child, seek me, I will withhold no good thing from you. I will
satisfy your hunger with good things. I will fill your house with good things.
Seek me and find the good things I will do for you according to my love and
compassion. (Psalm 84:11, Psalm 104:28, Psalm 107:9, Isaiah 63:7)
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