Day Old

8/30/2016

Psalm 29:11 The Lord gives His people strength. The Lord blesses His people with peace. - David

Years ago we lived in Ontario, Oregon and there was (and still is to this day) a Franz Bakery outlet – you can get the day-old stuff there. Now, with all due respect to Franz Bakery, their prices are a bit more than Hostess, and certainly more than Little Debbie. But day old is day old and donuts the second day are doable. And cheaper.

This morning I am sharing what I would call Day-Old bread – meaning, I read this Psalm last night. Typically, I like to share fresh bread or the thoughts I’ve had about a scripture or passage on a given day. Pardon me for my OCD tendencies, but my mother, God rest her soul, was my mother. And I cannot shake what I read last night.

If there are two things misunderstood in Christendom, strength and peace are it (or they). We like to ask God for strength because we want to control our circumstances. We want to control other people. We want to control our destiny, so naively and (perhaps) innocently, we ask God for strength to do so. God give me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change the things I can, and the strength to deal with those who get in my way.

What strength does God give His people? Is it strength to control or, strength to endure? Is it strength to manipulate or strength to be humble? Is it strength to do things on our own, or strength to give it all up to Him and let Him do as He will and I have strength to cooperate? Strength, to keep on keeping on?

And peace. What is the peace He blesses us with? I think about people in Auschwitz and wonder what peace they found in their circumstances. I wonder if they thought it was a blessing. Peace is an amazingly complex thing. And it is fleeting. And it is hard especially when everything around us screams that it cannot be so.

But strength from God is a gift. And Peace is a blessing.

I’m not sure I can tell you what I think this all means, but I can say this: God gives His people strength; and God blesses His people with peace. That may look different to you than it does to me, but the truth is the truth, and the result is the result. And it doesn’t say He may give or bless, it says He does.

So, if He does, then we have. Right? Or if He does, and we don’t accept, then we don’t. God gives us life – that little old organ called the heart beats right along. We didn’t ask for it, we don’t control it, and it will keep beating as long as He says it will. We breathe air. We didn’t ask for it, we don’t control it, it just is, and we breathe it. As long as He says we will.

Strength and peace are ours from Him and we will have them as long as God says we can – and He doesn’t change His mind. So, what we have, we should accept and we shouldn’t veer from the understanding that despite what we face daily, in the midst, we have access to what God gives: strength and peace.

Father, whether day old in my mind or not, Your word lasts forever and Your strength and peace are mine, no matter what. May I accept them and appropriate them for the reality they are – Amen.