Adirondack Chair Revelation

Okay, so I'm reading Psalms this morning whilst on the dock, out on the water, sitting in an adirondack chair in the blazing sun (which has been quite coy this past week). I'm watching boats race, duck mothers and her ducklings swimming by, Cormorants diving for fish, and the Sparta waterski team preparing for their annual 4th of July water skiing performance to the tune of 'The Final Countdown' by Europe. This should get anybody pumped for fireworks.

So I'm sitting reading the words of our great King David... and I've got nothing. Zilch. Nada. None. So I read one of the special excerpts about some kind of trial or emotional experience.. and I looked into one of the scriptures that related to depression. So I decided to open up the book of Samuel. 1 Samuel 16. I really had no idea what this passage was going to say to me, what the Lord had in store for me to find. This is the passage that hit home. Many of you reading this may be skeptic, may think.. 'yeah, but it's Old Testament, we're under the new covenant now'. I'm just going to put this out there... I believe the ENTIRE word of God is relevant. Even though some of the laws in Leviticus are no longer necessary.. whatev. I'm no theologian.. and I'm glad for that. I just believe in Jesus and his Word. Enough said.

So I read this particular passage:

A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” 18 Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

The little reference at the bottom of the page mentioned that the Lord uses even distressing spirits to provoke us to come back to Him and lean on Him. Wow. This was such an amazing relief. That could my current distress and hardships and troubles really be right under the Lord's authority? Ha! It's hilarious to think, that I have been under the impression that God has no idea what's going on down here and that I'm barely coming up for air in this trial.

It was so truly peacegiving for me to realize, He's aware of it all, He's using whatever I'm going through to HELP me to rely fully on Him. (It may sound totally trivial and simple, but when you become aware of it, it's like a ton of bricks are lifted off and you want to tell the whole world cause God just showed something that changed your heart)

I then changed position, lied down on the deck with the sun in my face and said "Whatever you want Lord, You've got me, have Your way". And really, that's all I had to say. I believe that was enough, and that all He wanted to do was get through to me and say "Babe, I've got it" and for me to say, 'Yes, I know and I'm resting in it'.

Hallelujia, babe, He's got it.