Is it Fall?
I always thought we called Fall, Fall, because that’s when the leaves fall to the ground? Right?
Well, the oak trees in my back yard didn’t get that message. Spring is Fall in my yard.
As the new leaves come in, the old leaves must fall somewhere. I just don’t understand why they all have to fall in my pool?
Grumbling and complaining as I’m cleaning, vacuuming, and scooping up more and more leaves and oak pollen out of my pool, the thought crosses my mind that maybe we should cut them down?
Oh, but wait. If we cut these four trees down now, won’t the pool be left wide open, all day, to the full Florida Summer sun? I don’t like to swim in cold water just about as much as I don’t like swimming in hot water.
Oh, and what about the shade these beautiful trees provide as I sit under them enjoying God’s amazing creation and blessing of this farm-life He has given me?
No, cutting the trees down in not an option.
As this internal debate goes on, I can’t help but think of James 3:10, “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”
Yet, it is so true isn’t it? Out of my mouth comes grumbling and complaining about something that ultimately brings me great joy.
Do you ever find that blessing and cursing come out of your mouth, too?
Well, we aren’t alone. Many of the songs in Psalms flow along these same lines.
David starts off in Psalm 13 with
“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?”
and he ends it with,
“But I have trusted in Your mercy;
my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because He has dealt bountifully with me.”
This little Psalm gives me so much hope in knowing that God can handle our grumbling and complaining, and as His child, He will directly speak to our heart and mind through His Holy Spirit so that we can also end on a note of worship and thanksgiving and rejoicing in Him.
No matter what might be going on in our lives – a silly, first-world problem like leaves falling into the pool, to the heart-breaking loss of a precious loved one – God desires to lead us from the depths of our feelings to the heights of reality in His presence.
Even in the valleys, we can sing with David, “But I have trusted in Your mercy.”
How have you experienced God’s mercy today?
We can sing, “My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.”
Do you know the salvation of the Lord – the freedom and forgiveness of ALL of your sin, and rescue from the clutches of hell? No matter our current circumstance, God’s salvation can not be taken away from His children! (John 10:28-30) Is your heart rejoicing in His salvation today?!
I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”
I love this word, “bountifully.” It means that something has been provided in an overly generous way. In my mind I see a glass that is not only filled but is overflowing.
God has dealt with me bountifully! First, above and beyond any provision is the forgiveness of my sins and my eternal reward of living in heaven with Him! This one reality, in and of itself, is bountiful and undeserved!
But God didn’t stop there. He has filled my cup bountifully with so many more blessings!
God has given me breath and life.
God has given me His Holy Spirit.
God has given me His Word.
God has given me a family.
God has given me a church family.
God has given me friends.
God has given me oak trees with leaves!
If you find yourself with a little blessing and cursing coming from the same mouth, will you join me in turning that around today? Let’s take the time today to consider what we do have and count them as blessings
Let’s follow David’s example and “sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.”
What song will you sing to the Lord? I would love to hear from you about how God has dealt bountifully with you? You can email me or add to the comments on my Facebook post.
Now, with a song of rejoicing in my heart that will also come out of my mouth, I’m going to finish cleaning the leaves out of the pool!