Familiarity Breeds Contentment

A fear of mine over the years has been that familiarity with Scripture will lead me to a place where I am ambivalent…routine…robotic. Let me explain: “Familiar” Scripture are those places we know and know well. We’ve heard it, read it, preached it, memorized it. Yet, because we (I) know it so well, we (I) skim through the greatness of the passage missing what “freshness” God may have in store for me.

Today that reality hit me hard.

I have the opportunity of being a part time hospital chaplain for a local health system in the Birmingham area. Throughout my day I encounter a number of people with various needs. Some of my patients are recovering from simple procedures. Some of my patients are under medical observation to determine their sickness. And some of them are there because they are dying.

As I made my rounds today, I met an elderly lady. She was very sick. Her time on this earth is not long. I entered her room and sat down beside her bed. We spoke for awhile about our families. Her eyes, though dimmed with age, seemed to beam as she recalled memories with her children and grandchildren. Through her pain, she expressed her love for her Lord. As I listened to her speak about her confidence in Him, tears slowly made their way down her cheek.

I asked her why she way she crying. Was her pain too intense? Could I go get the nurse to give her something to give comfort? There were a few seconds of silence after I asked why she was crying. Then she grabbed my hand and placed her small Bible in my palms.

“What passage do you like most?” was my question to her. Without hesitation, she smiled and whispered, “Psalm 91”. I too smiled. I know that passage. I love that passage. I have preached that passage countless times at funeral services. I am familiar with that passage.

As I read the Psalm, she began to quietly speak the words of the Psalm. She too was familiar with the passage but her familiarity was much different than mine. She lives it…I’ve simply preached it. By the time I finished reading verse two, she and I were both emotional. Her tears were from her strong confidence in who God says He is. My tears were from not completely believing who He says He is. My familiarity with the passage exposed my contentment with my view of God. Let these two verses overwhelm and overtake you.
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Take some time and become familiar once again with Psalm 91.