Better than Sheep

Psalm 145: 21        TPT

I will praise you, Lord! Let everyone everywhere join me in praising the beautiful Lord of holiness from now through eternity!

Now here is someone who really loves the Lord! I bet you can guess who wrote it. If you guessed David, you are right. You can see one reason why God called David a man after His own heart. It was the love David showed Him. I find myself wondering how David developed such a strong affinity for God. The answer is perfect for a trying time of lockdown and isolation.

David was a shepherd. His brothers were older than he and were soldiers. While the brothers were off fighting the Philistines, David was home watching sheep. He spent many lonely nights with those sheep. All that time alone paid dividends though. He learned he was not really alone. He began talking to the one who was with Him, his God. In the lonely watches he learned to communicate with the Father, and he learned to wrap his life around the Father. He fell in love with Father and he also came to know the Holy Spirit, which few in the Old Testament can boast of.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. In this case, David turned loneliness into a close, intertwined life with the Lord. We can do the same. If you are finding yourself still alone a lot, talk with Dad. You could come out the other side of Covid with more than long hair and an extra couple of pounds. You could become a David, knowing and talking with the Father with ease.

He is Here

Psalm 139: 7

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

Wherever we go, whatever we do, Yahweh is right there with us. This can be a spooky thought in the beginning. It may feel like someone is watching you in everything you do. With time, however, and as we draw closer to the Lord, knowing He is with you becomes a bar to loneliness and a constant source of comfort.

It is natural that He should be everywhere we are because, at our invitation, He intertwines His Spirit around ours, effectively becoming part of us. He is where we are because He is in us. He is always with us. I have learned to not only take comfort in the idea of “God with us,” but also to accept it at a very basic level. I find myself talking to Him as if He is standing right beside me. I have this awareness of Him with me that has now permeated my subconscious mind. That understanding can radically change your life.

I used to be a person who was not good at being alone and I became lonely very easily. That is no longer the case because I know I am not alone. In fact, I now crave “alone” time so Father and I can have time to ourselves. I love social interaction, but I have learned to enjoy being alone with Father. When I began cycling in groups a couple of years ago, I had a very mixed reaction. I truly enjoy making new friends and riding together. However, I found myself missing riding alone because bike riding had developed as time with Father. In the early days of the pandemic, I jumped on my bike and went cycling with Yahweh. I didn’t mind riding alone, nor need a cycling partner because I always carry my cycling buddy with me. Riding certainly alleviated much of the stress of those early days of the coronavirus crisis. Not only did I get in the physical exertion; I also got time with my Father.

We are never without our number one fan and love. He is ever with us, watching over us and desirous of simply being with us. I hope you take great comfort in that.