Delightfully Terrible

Preface

On Tuesday, November 15, 2011, at 4:25 a.m., I laid in bed, half awake—half asleep. My thoughts turned to my writing project, which Id worked on continuously from June of this year until mid-August. Here it was mid-November and I had not written a word for nearly three months.
Prior to this hiatus, I was writing every day—morning, afternoon, evening, and late into the night. Back then, I had completed a number of chapters, but feeling great peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment after completing the most recent chapter, I looked for an excuse to take a break from writing. Then on Friday, August 19, 2011, at 5:30 a.m., I was jarred out of drowsiness and God spoke to my spirit. It was almost as if He was demanding that I take a breather from writing. He insisted:
“Take time!”
“Take time!”
“Take time and refresh!”
“Take time and refresh and be restored!”
I went immediately to my writing desk, found a note pad and pen, and wrote down those exact words. This directive from the Lord—while it did not surprise me—puzzled me.
On that Tuesday morning in November, lying in bed, I was awakened to a significant detail in my developing book. I wrote about what I consider the most supernatural happening I’ve experienced in my walk with the Lord. In this particular chapter, I also share Psalm 143, in which David writes under the direction of the Holy Spirit about the subjects of deliverance and guidance.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, give an ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I think on the work of thy hands.
I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsts after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
Hear me speedily, O Lord; my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul:
for I am thy servant.
(Psalm 143)

I got out of bed and read those words. Then I waited on the Lord for inspiration and felt moved to reflect on at least two powerful reasons as to why God would lead me to that portion of His Word at that precise time.
There was one clue—I sensed that I was being drawn to remember the precise details of how God had allowed me to be used in rescuing a friend from self-destruction many years ago. And how that very chapter—Psalm 143—was a dramatic part of that experience. So why was God now refreshing my mind and spirit on that potentially tragic event that happened so long ago?
Next, I considered the second reason why Psalm 143 had my attention. His plan was not as obvious until an incident occurred on Sunday, November 29, 2011. I began to conclude that God was on the verge of opening Himself up to me once again. Perhaps now was the time for Him to more thoroughly reveal Himself to me through my writing.
God will simply stop at nothing to impress upon my spirit what He wants to teach me. First of all, the recurring theme at this point in my life is that He is emphasizing the importance of obedience! He wants me to stop what I’m doing and “wait upon the Lord.”
Next, He is asking me to listen to what He is trying to say to me, because “my sheep know my voice.”
Then, He wants me to follow His leading. Why? “He [already] knows the way that I take” (Job 23:10 NIV).
And finally, He wanted me to be found faithful and obedient as judged by my Savior, because “if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:12–13).
On Sunday morning, November 20, 2011, I woke with a slight chill that signaled the possible ambush of a new bout with a cold or even flu. So I announced to my wife that I was going to stay in and not go to church that morning. Without delay, I wrapped myself in a nice warm blanket and proceeded to work on about a gallon of coffee while alternating between watching a host of Christian TV programs and dozing off for a brief nap or two. At 10:00 a.m., I logged on to the morning worship service at First Assembly of God in Fort Meyer, Florida, where Dan Betzer is pastor. After all of the preliminaries, Pastor Betzer announced the text for his sermon—Psalm 143!
What?! You’ve got to be kidding me! I thought. What could God possibly be trying to tell me now? Now hold on to your seats, boys and girls; more fun is about to begin. Midway through that sermon, Pastor Betzer referred to the Dottie Rambo song, “Remind Me Dear Lord,” the same song I had recently heard on a Christian television program. He quoted the very line asking God to show us from where He’s brought us and where we might have been. They were the same lyrics I had sung off and on for the past three or four days!
Okay, God. What’s up? I thought.
Like David, I prayed that God would not hide His face from me, but that I would continue to experience His favor.
I prayed that God would guide and direct me in all my ways as I pursued His bidding.
Likewise, I prayed that my spirit constantly would be quickened by and in Him.
Furthermore, I prayed that God would quickly deliver me out of all my difficulties.
Finally, I prayed that I might not grumble and complain—without wasting time seeking the reason why these difficulties may have come my way.