Yesterday, I take my youngest to the doctor because of a terrible reaction to the new earrings we let her wear. They were beautiful earrings, and she loved them. But after just a few days, a disgusting infection brewed. I’m talking about the green pus-filled sort. I’ll spare you a photo.
After many tears and much drama, we remove the earring in the doctor’s office. The doctor announces the news:
“Only the finest for this girl,” she says. “She’s reacting to the poor quality of this earring. She needs the hypoallergenic, 14 carat gold variety.”
My daughter smiles and tosses her hair. “Only the finest, Mom.” It becomes a joke all evening. Only the finest. The conversation turns to diamonds and pearls and gold and rubies. She simply wasn’t made for poor quality.
But those other earrings were beautiful. She begged for them; she wouldn’t listen to anyone’s warnings until we found ourselves in an earring emergency.
I recall Psalm 81. God has the finest things to give to his children, but we resist those gifts because of what we think we want. I read this:
But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
“If my people would only listen to me,
if Israel would only follow my ways,how quickly I would subdue
their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!
you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.
I want to listen to God and submit. I want to receive only the finest. If not, I fear the terrible reaction that will surely come in time.
We simply weren’t made for poor quality, so we won’t compromise.
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Have you found it to be true that when you obey God, you tend to receive only the finest?