Honor and Acceptance

To Deanna and Lucy...

I was reading Psalms 23 this morning. Around verse 5, it says you prepare a feast for in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. This reminded me of Proverbs which talks about letting God be the one to honor us, not ourselves.

To me, Psalms 23 paints a picture of the ideal working conditions - peace, soft background noise, lack of danger. I can focus on what I need to do, not the rest of the world around me. Rod and staff are instruments that a shepherd uses on his own sheep, to lead them away from danger or wrong trails. They represent discipline as love, not control. Easy and gentle.

Then honor. Then eternity. The Psalm begins with God setting the circumstances, showing us where to go, protecting us as He goes too, followed by honor, esteem or acceptance, and eternity. This is life. And the one common thread is God.

Success does not come from money, education, or even trying hard enough. Success comes solely and entirely from God. Yes, we work. I work. I work hard. I make a conscious effort to be excellent at whatever I do. Sometimes I hit a home run. Others, well, tapping the ball is a victory. 

God not only knows how to pitch soft balls for home runs, He also amplifies that tiny tap so that it accomplishes something more. Success always comes from God. Live your lives for Him, and He will be proud of You. The God who made an entire universe, set planets in motion, and sub-atomic particles hurtling through space, will be proud of you.