Lacking no good thing

"those who seek the Lord lack no good thing"

Psalm 34.10

I'm just memorising Psalm 34 (it's taking some time!) and I was really struck by this promise of God's Word - that the one who seeks/fears the Lord lacks no good thing. It is a great promise to learn, memorise and treasure. It is a great and hopeful verse promising such peace and satisfaction and contentment. 

But what happens when we struggle with the experience of feeling that our life is missing something. Some recognition, some relationship, some possession. Try thinking of that thing right now. Does this verse become some sort of pie in the sky when you die? No.

Instead it assures us that God knows our need best. He knows that that thing on which our heart is fixed, would, at this time, do us harm and not good. As one writer I read recently wrote, God is keeping from us what we would keep from ouselves if we knew everything he does and if we loved ourselves as much as he loves us.

We might reply, "But the thing I want is a good thing." That is often true, but maybe that good thing is not something we lack at the moment and to have it would actually do us harm. One time, when we were relatively short of cash, we got an unexpected bill. The Lord challenged us that day to rest on his goodness. To recognise that if he takes that money away, he does so for our good. And so, we tried to say, "The Lord knew that we would use that good money to buy something that would harm us, and so he spared us the temptation." It wasn't an easy prayer, but through it the Lord helped us to focus on his goodness and loving kindness to us in all things.

One of the prayers in the Valley of Vision says this,

"Lawful blessings are the secret idols and do most hurt, 

the greatest injury is in the having, the greatest good in the taking away

In love divest me of blessings that I may glorify thee more,

remove the fuel of my sin

and may I prize the gain of a little holiness 

as overbalancing all my losses"