WHAT DO YOU WANT?

What if you trusted in God and he gave you everything you wanted? It is good to trust in the Lord, but is it really good to get everything your heart desires even if it is not really good for you. I submit to you that we do have free choice and a choice to choose what is good for us as well as what is bad for us. “However, personal freedom has to do with a decision to protect the heart, mind, and body from evil influences?” CHARLES STANLEY  Several years ago I wanted what I wanted and I didn’t care about being that obedient to GOD and his positive rules for my life. I didn’t realize that his tenets were not put in place to stop me from having fun in my life, but to protect my heart and soul. I only sought him when I was hurting. I took him off the shelve for my benefit. I didn’t realize I needed to keep him always in my life. And I was to take God permanently off of the shelve and obey his commandments. And that there could be value to me in living a positive life. This reasoning became apparent when a boyfriend that I thought would become a permanent fixture in my life suddenly dumped me. This was to be a permanent relationship with marriage as the conclusion. Heading off to my local church, I sought solace and comfort from God and felt so helpless and hurting. Upon reaching the entrance to the chapel a middle age woman accosted me. “So happy to have you here, she blurted. Welcome, Welcome, God is good,” She exclaimed, and then she quoted moving words and scripture that I wasn’t interested in hearing or willing to listen too. This was one of the reasons I had neglected coming to church in the first place. People always accosting me trying to save me and wanting to espouse their favorite reasons to convince me to love and obey the LORD. Didn’t she see that I was hurting? Did she not have any compassion? Just a religious nut, I thought. She then told me that when she was hurting she recited the 23rd PSALM sometimes over and over perhaps 100 times. Oh lardy, I though this woman is crazed. Didn’t she see my pain and anguish? What about me, me and me? Then she directed me to my seat. She said “The 23RD PSALM is so wonderful especially for me. You see I have three months to live. I have been diagnosed with an incurable type of CANCER!” I paused…….. I WAS WORRIED about a boyfriend dumping me? …How could I be so SELFISH?

Fast forward years later. I have had many trials and conflicts in my life some near death escapes, but I too wake up in the middle of the night repeating the 23RD PSALM and it peacefully gets me back to sleep. I often say it during the day when I am accosted by evil. It begins… THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD I SHALL NOT WANT!  I CHALLENGE YOU to Learn the rest of it for yourself. It will comfort you. It is HEALING!  A footnote…Is it good for GOD to give you what you want? The boyfriend that dropped me has since had three destructive and unhealthy marriages and divorces. Now my heart is calmer because God had a better plan for me. And he is permanently OFF THE SHELVE AND FOREVER IN MY LIFE! “WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I SHALL FEAR NO EVIL… HIS SWORD AND HIS STAFF THEY COMFORT ME!”