Lean Souls
April 27, 2008 by pistolpete
{first published in Necessary Therapy on April 14, 2007}
I’ve heard it said, “Be careful of what you want. You might just get it.”
In my life, I’ve been fairly adept at getting what I’ve wanted. God has blessed (and cursed) me with the ability to talk my way into and out of nearly anything. But often, I find that getting what I want leaves me hungrier for what I most need.
The Bible shows us that God allows people to get what they want and experience the consequences. In Psalm 106, as the story of Israel’s on-again, off-again relationship with the Lord is recounted, there is a verse that reveals something of the method behind God’s madness.
And [God] gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. (Psalm 106:15)
God does not abandon us to the consequences of our behavior. Instead, God sends a “leanness into our souls”. Essentially, God strips us of the temporary comfort we might find in sin so that we can be motivated to return to the Lord and be satisfied.
Nathan Baxter, reflecting on this passage in relationship to our nation, writes –
“America’s soul is lean. Yes, in this wonderful age of technology, the face of America is changing. It is a stressful face, and a spiritually empty face, reflecting a leanness of soul. Just stand in a public place sometimes and observe. Better yet, just look in the mirror and see what you discover.”
Baxter continues, “The rat race is on and we dare not complain; because, after all, this is what we have prayed for and worked for. Someone once said, ‘The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat!’ There is something less than human in the stressful life we have chosen.”
In this crazy rat race, we are never going to be satisfied just getting what we want. It’s only when we have what we need that our thirst is quenched.
St. Augustine expressed it best when he prayed, “Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in Thee.”
Have a good Sabbath.
Yes, my soul has been lean… I’m trying to make it fat…
We are seeking to provide a place for Christians and others to express and/or learn about their/our faith in a setting conducive to healing.
Are we hypocrites? Maybe… But we try to keep our motives pure…
We are endeavoring to raise money for our Discipleship ministry in order to reach out to the hurting and the homeless who could otherwise not afford help.
And I’ll tell you the truth– money cannot buy the quality of help you receive at the Center of Hope. The methods are innovative, creative and beyond anything I had heretofor ever encountered… I simply cannot say enough good things about their program…
“The Bible shows us that God allows people to get what they want and experience the consequences.”
Lately I’ve found myself wishing for some sort of blessing other than one that’s in disguise.