63Three

As I find time, and energy, I will dive into stories and share ideas and express thoughts about everything under the sun. I will intentionally be sharing it under the name, the banner, of 63three. Why you ask? Because this name is a reference to the only thing that actually matters…God’s love for us.

Psalm 63:3 is not a cliche. It was written by King David, when he was hiding in the wilderness, under the very real threat of death.

David was not speaking from platitudes when he wrote, “your unfailing love is greater than life.” Not a cliche. An actual acknowledgment, that hey, I may very well die soon, but even if I do, I will still have your unfailing love. But he didn’t stop there. He said he would praise Him.

WHAT?!? Praise Him? There are “Wanted, Dead or Alive” posters all over Judah with your mug on it, and you’re praising Him?

Yeah, he is. Cause he knows there’s something way more important than life itself. And even in the face of death, David praises God because of His unfailing love toward him.

I wonder, how much of my life is spent in pursuit of the things that make up life? All the while, the only thing that does really matter is neglected.

I strive for importance and ask for His strength to help me. When I fail, will I still praise Him as David did?

I strive for independence and ask for His wisdom to help me accomplish it. When I fail, will I praise Him?

I strive for success and ask for His blessing on my plans. When I fail, will I praise Him?

When I am falsely accused and mistreated, will I praise Him as David did?

Sadly, if I’m honest, praise is not my natural reaction. It’s because my focus is on this life, and on the things that don’t really matter. And therein lies the problem.

I ask for health, for wealth, for security, for safety, for blessing, for titles, for importance … for life.

And the whole time He is offering me the only thing that really matters…Himself. And when I stop and realize the peace I have with God through Jesus Christ, all the sudden I’m praising Him.

I’m praising Him with no health, no wealth, no security, no safety, no blessing, no titles, no importance. I’m praising Him cause the only thing that really matters is Him, regardless of my circumstances.

I’m not discounting the tough things, though. Life at times is tough. I found out recently that I have sertoli cell only syndrome. It’s medical jargon for sterile. My wife and I really wanted to have our own family. But I’m incapable of fathering children. Now that was and is a tough time. Thankfully, I’ve never stopped praising Him (even through my tears). Not because life was easy, but when the white coats came and said there was nothing more we can do, I was able to rely on the only thing that matters…peace with God through Jesus Christ.

God has taught me that even fathering children is not as important as His unfailing love. He has taught me that His love is not found in the things of this life, in what I do or don’t possess. It is only found in my relationship to Him. His love and my possessions are two different things. When I don’t have one, it doesn’t mean I don’t have the other.

If only our smiling TV preachers would tell us that