Jump Start # 613

NOTE: Our Jumpstarts following the working schedule.  So when there is a holiday, we take a break from our Jumpstarts. There will be no Jumpstarts this Monday. We will be back with you again on Tuesday.

Psalms 65:13 “The meadows are clothed with flocks, And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing.”

The Psalmist is speaking of the good times and blessings from the Lord. The Lord had been good to him. His meadows were full of flocks. His fields were covered with grain. Those are sweet words to a shepherd and a farmer. Meadows empty and fields barren are their fear. These abundant conditions didn’t come about from his hard work, his wisdom or great plans. They came from the Lord. The blessings in this poetic passage are shouting and singing. They are excited. It’s as if they couldn’t wait to help and bless those who would receive it. There is a sense of excitement from the Lord to send these blessings. They aren’t given with reservations, concerns or an “do I have to” spirit. The meadows are singing and shouting.

This time of the year is busy and a happening time for many folks. There are graduations and weddings and family get togethers. These are happy occasions. Parents beam with joy. It is a time to be thankful. It is a time to connect to the Lord. Goodness and blessings from the Lord are not sparse, but abundant. God is a generous God. We may not see graduations or weddings as blessings, but they are. There have been many prayers answered to get to those points. There has been some battles fought, some hills climbed and some anxious moments. But now, it is the time to rejoice. I think God likes us to do that. God wants His children to rejoice in the blessings that He sends.

There are periods of our life when it seems that the burdens and the problems are greater than we can handle. Answers are hard to find. We seem alone. Stress levels seem to be to their limits. Those aren’t joyful times for us. But we get through them. We do that with the Lord’s help. That itself is a blessing. Then we come to seasons in which the meadows are clothed with flocks. The meadows of our health. We feel good. The meadows of relationships. We are getting along with others and they are getting along with us. The meadows of spirituality. We love our walk with the Lord. We are growing, learning, and loving our time with the Lord. The meadows of opportunities. There are so many things to do—good things, helpful things, spiritual things. The meadows of finances. We have jobs, are making money, and are able to store for the future as well as help others. Our meadows are clothed with flocks. What a great statement. It’s like saying, “I am blessed.”

I heard that the other day. Someone asked a person how he was. We expect the typical reply, “Fine.” He didn’t say that. He said, “I’m blessed.” That caught my attention. I like that. Here was a person who realized that his flocks were clothed with flocks. That spirit and that attitude colors the world you see. It brings God into what we are doing. It invites the Lord into our days.

Our meadows are clothed with flocks—I really like that phrase. God is good to us. He treats us better than we deserve. He shows that He loves us, over and over. Our meadows are clothed. They are naked. They are barely filled. They are clothed!

Let’s remember these things as we go about this weekend. God  is so good, he’s so good to me (and you).

Roger