We skipped our daily devotion yesterday, the father was overwhelmed by everything on his hands and outside his hands. That’s what he told himself and his Grace. Little did she care if that was a valid reason or just another excuses queried out from her father’s archive, the clock is ticking, and they need to move no matter what.
Unlike the past 24 hours it’s not raining nor even cloudy, but the father―I―going to do the devotion alone today, guess Grace is not in her mood. She’s trying to adapt to her new set of clothing, trying to read what her mother has to say on their way out from 1-month confinement.
Psalm 4 it is.
Psalm 4For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.How long O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord will hear when I call to him.In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the Lord.Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
David again… probably some connection to the prior chapter, but I have a feeling of “not really”. God chose him as the king, God made him serve in His ministry. But the foes has their agenda to flip this around, it’s us against the world.
Great distress.
But this man, David―despite the little knowledge I have about him except the greatest story of David vs. Goliath. I have not finished the entire Book yet, probably more than one David. Anyway, this David is a great man!
“the Lord will hear when I call to him” I’ve been a Christian since 2011 July 31st. If you ask me did I ever prayed with this level of confidence. No. Not even did I demanded “Answer me when I call to you”―Relationship goal, I tell you.
Psalm 4: v4-5In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the Lord.
Okay, this is the part I love the most… this is more relatable to my personal experience. Once you’re in the Greatest Relationship―this is how I named the relationship between Him and me―you can differentiate the freedom and the limit of the freedom itself. Mind crumbled. I’m sure Grace gonna cry if I were to mumble this part to her. “What talking you daddy!”
You know when shit happens…you probably would do this― “ARHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Screw this shit, why the heck is this happening to me! Why now! Why me!” I have a more extreme version of shouting and I ever felt like I am so strong that I can bend a barbell. Yep, that is the anger, the bro.
Well, do not sin. When you know Him, the so tender and righteous Him. When you can differentiate things. The Freedom, you won’t abuse it. Because you know where is that limit. You can literally touch it and feel it. “Oh here, I should stop now.”
Yesterday, it was overwhelmed. I screamed out loud in my heart. In my car. I went out from home, Long Blacked myself to the level I think I can even talk to the dog outside the café, and he can understand me. I enjoyed it, I talked to Him (not the dog!). He helped me to search my heart, pulled me back to the focal point. “Eh bro, I thought you’re supposed to work on your business? Why don’t you be a man? Go back and be the husband, be the father. Back to that keyboard, start doing what you should be doing. All of these, they need you. Go now.”
Everything went back to where it should be, it was the yesterday.
Okay the rest of the verses, I got lazy.
“What? Don’t blame me Grace, daddy got lazy sometimes. It’s 3:45 pm now, I missed my coffee!”.
What we’ve learned and what I am going to tell Grace when she’s grown up:
Many years back today daddy managed to come back whole because I that time I stood on the ground and never went beyond to challenge the limit. I got angry, and by His grace, I came back calm like…calm. Lost in the adjective.
Enjoy your colorful clothes and your milk.
— From that annoying father
