“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give Grace and Glory. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
Psalm 84:11
If we need it, He’ll give it—when it’s time.
The problem with “name it, claim it” belief is that it reduces faith to some formula whereby the adherent basically backs God into a corner (or so it seems to an outside observer). Assuredly, in the spiritual realm we are to live by faith and “see that which is not and call it so” (Heb. 11:1). However, our great God is both creative and unpredictable and we must give Him room to work whenever, wherever and however He sees fit; therefore, we should rest in the assurances set forth in today’s Manna, knowing our Lord will never leave us in a lurch.
It’s good to know “the Lord God is a sun and shield.” That means there’ll never be a time when darkness (literal or figurative) will cause us to wring our hands and cry, “Oh me, oh my, what am I going to do.” Likewise, He is our Shield and “Refuge, a very present Help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). So, again, we will not fear the “fiery darts of wicked men” or the hellish howlings of devilish demons—not when the Lord Himself has promised to give us “Grace and Glory” in every situation.
But, it is this next part of the Manna on which we need to meditate for some time:
“No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
Interesting, the word “thing” is not in the original Hebrew, which makes our text read “No good will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Does that make a difference? Yes and no.
Its absence helps us to understand His “good” is much better than our “best.” Likewise, it’s not limited to some “thing,” but can also mean some “one.” Simply put, the Heavenly Father knows very well what’s best for us and will give us just what we need when we need it. And, as the Apostle Paul wrote in Rom. 5:3-4, when we pray for patience we should expect “tribulation.”
The Hebrew word “mana” is used for “withhold” and also means “to refrain, keep back from injury, restrain, deny, etc.” Thus, it’s the picture of “discerning deprivation” in which an all-seeing Lord does what’s best for us from an eternal perspective, not a temporal one. That’s why we should not grow frustrated, fidgety, fearful, etc., when things aren’t working out the way we expected—which, in reality, means “The way I want them to.”
Oh, dear Pilgrim, look at it this way:
You have a burden on your heart. You pray about it for many days and it continues to be there. You ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and mind (Ps. 139:23-24) while He uses the Word to lay bare any secret, sinful motives or lusts (Heb. 4:12). After inward assurance your intentions and desires are glorifying to God, you step out by faith and move forward. From that moment on do not entertain doubts or double-mindedness, lest the evil one paralyze you; instead, “press on for the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14), knowing He will meet all your needs from His bountiful Supply (Phil. 4:19).
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated September 29, 2009
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