I awoke this morning with one task on my agenda - a marathon day of writing. I have a lot to do in half the time I need, so I have to double-time for the next few days. Head down; knees bent. I began my day confessing to the Lord how much I love Him and want to please Him. I reminded Him, and myself, of my total dependence and devotion to Him and that my chief end is to do the work that pleases Him most, even if it’s not in my calendar. I spent time in God’s Word on my porch and enjoyed the warm breeze that often accompanies His voice, and delighted in hearing Him on such a beautiful day.
I stood to retrieve my computer which apparently signaled to my dog that I was willing to take her outside for what was, by her reaction, an emergency walk. I stepped outside flips flopping and sun on my face. The day is remarkably beautiful and comfortable for a summer Saturday in the south. The thought skimmed over me, “It’s too perfect not to be outside.” Suddenly the Lord grabbed that train of thought and derailed it before it got to my heart. I was being played. Not steps away from the physical space where my heart was bowed in dedication to the work of the day, the devil cleverly tried to scheme me, not by distracting me from God’s blessings, but by shoving them in my face.
Of course, the devil’s methods are certainly crafty, but they are not terribly creative and this particular tactic is as old as Eve. In Genesis 3, we see Satan using the guise of one of God’s good creations, pointing out God’s abundant provision in Eden, and focusing Eve’s attention on how good God’s creation truly was: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6)
Satan did not attack God directly, certainly Eve would have seen through that, rather he moved her attention to the creation rather than the Creator. We have been given many blessings and provisions so that we might know and be known by God: beautiful landscapes, horizons, and creatures; wonderful families and friends; the ability to enjoy simple moments and the ability to relive them forever through the gift of our memory. We have been given the Word of God which gives understanding, guidance, and appreciation to all of these things and more. However, these good gifts are to be constant reminders to keep our eyes and hearts on our Lord Jesus and not to set Him in line behind them.
Certainly, God desires for us to explore and delight in all that He has made, how else will we really realize His unmatched creativity and genius. Certainly, he wants us to invest in the inexpressible wonder that are the relationships in our lives. Certainly, He loves a pajama day, a long coffee break, and a day at the ballpark smelling of sunscreen and popcorn. He desires our delight in Him. We however, must realize that these things are tools for His glory and not glory in and of themselves.
Today, He has planned for me to write. So, I will thank Him for the blessing of the sun through the windows and the breaks to walk my dog. I will pray for His delight as He watches His other children play outside, because there is a gorgeous day just begging for it. A day that would be perfect spent grilling and laughing and making a memory; but I will find my delight at my kitchen table with my computer and with the God I love more than all good things, smiling at a little secret from Him about this particular, spectacular, sunny day.................................. He can make another.
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