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Read these first installments of the ongoing 30-part devotional series Feed on His Faithfulness, based on Psalms 37, right here on Strike the Jordan!
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Feed on His Faithfulness
COOLLY CATCHING COBRAS - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #4
"Do not fret...trust in the Lord...commit your way to the Lord."
– Psalms 37:1-5 (NKJV, excerpts)
– Psalms 37:1-5 (NKJV, excerpts)
I had ... a call from a friend, Russ Weaver: "Dave, I want you to come to list my house."
This is a realtor’s dream call. But what came out of my mouth was: “Russ, you don’t want to sell your house right now.... Hang on to it. We’re in a buyer’s market right now. Besides, it’s October, and the next four months will be slow."
Two weeks later, Russ called again, “Dave, can you come over and list this house TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00?” Seeing his resolve, we booked the meeting.
“I’ll be prepared to discuss a detailed valuation with you,” I said.
“Don’t bother. I already know the price.”
“Oh yeah? How much?”
“$134,000.” (This was 1998, and it sounded high, but I hadn’t done the homework yet.) “Oh, and by the way, that’s not what I’m ASKING; that's how much we'll GET!”
After looking at recent sales in the area, tax records, and anything else I could think of, the highest value I could come up with was $114,000. My broker advised you don’t want to list anything above five percent over market value. This rationale got me to a list price of $119,900.
[Later,] sitting at the kitchen table, I discovered the price was non-negotiable. “But Russ, haven’t I demonstrated that the asking price should be $119,900?”
“Well, that’s what those papers say, but the Lord told me you would sell it for $134,000.”
― From When a House Buys a Person: Adventures in Real Estate, by David Herr (2021 - excerpts)
* * *
Bwa-ha-ha! So, how did that one work out!? Well ... let's leave it marinating a bit while we check in on another true-life scene, this one involving a disgraced and expatriated prince, barefoot, gazing into a brush fire in a remote desert....
So, the Lord said to [Moses], “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” And he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand. (Exodus 4:2-4, NKJV)
I've often wondered how many times Moses' heart thumped against his rib cage before his trembling hand complied with the command to "Take it by the tail." (In case you're wondering, DON'T try this at home! The tail is ... let's just say ... not your best choice of a handle whereby to catch an ill-tempered cobra.)
This is a realtor’s dream call. But what came out of my mouth was: “Russ, you don’t want to sell your house right now.... Hang on to it. We’re in a buyer’s market right now. Besides, it’s October, and the next four months will be slow."
Two weeks later, Russ called again, “Dave, can you come over and list this house TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00?” Seeing his resolve, we booked the meeting.
“I’ll be prepared to discuss a detailed valuation with you,” I said.
“Don’t bother. I already know the price.”
“Oh yeah? How much?”
“$134,000.” (This was 1998, and it sounded high, but I hadn’t done the homework yet.) “Oh, and by the way, that’s not what I’m ASKING; that's how much we'll GET!”
After looking at recent sales in the area, tax records, and anything else I could think of, the highest value I could come up with was $114,000. My broker advised you don’t want to list anything above five percent over market value. This rationale got me to a list price of $119,900.
[Later,] sitting at the kitchen table, I discovered the price was non-negotiable. “But Russ, haven’t I demonstrated that the asking price should be $119,900?”
“Well, that’s what those papers say, but the Lord told me you would sell it for $134,000.”
― From When a House Buys a Person: Adventures in Real Estate, by David Herr (2021 - excerpts)
* * *
Bwa-ha-ha! So, how did that one work out!? Well ... let's leave it marinating a bit while we check in on another true-life scene, this one involving a disgraced and expatriated prince, barefoot, gazing into a brush fire in a remote desert....
So, the Lord said to [Moses], “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” And he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand. (Exodus 4:2-4, NKJV)
I've often wondered how many times Moses' heart thumped against his rib cage before his trembling hand complied with the command to "Take it by the tail." (In case you're wondering, DON'T try this at home! The tail is ... let's just say ... not your best choice of a handle whereby to catch an ill-tempered cobra.)
But Moses obeyed, and the rest is history: he went on to repeat the miracle in front of Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler of his time. Moses' cobra coolly swallowed up all the other cobras—the ones brought forth by Pharaoh's conjurers—thereby demonstrating the omnipotence of the Great "I AM."
As we explore the wonders of Psalm 37, which is all about de-stressing our lives and "feeding on His faithfulness" (or, as Jesus later put it, "Take my yoke upon you ... and you shall find rest for your souls"), we come to the instruction in verse 5: "Commit your way to the Lord."
"My WAY? WHAT way?"
Think of the old proverb "Man proposes; God disposes." (Sure, that's not a direct quote from the Bible, but the principle is absolutely scriptural; for example, Proverbs 16:9 and 19:21.) The idea is that we are free to PENCIL IN our goals, schedules, and itineraries for life's journey, but IMMEDIATELY commit them to our loving Father, earnestly and actively seeking His divine eraser and red-ink correction pen!
Back to Moses—the mighty prince who had escaped those same Egyptian courts by the skin of his teeth forty years earlier. And his "way," his life plan, was to just keep doing what he was doing: hang out on the back side of the desert disguised as a sheepherder, raise children and grandchildren, and ABSOLUTELY NOT do anything to attract Pharaoh's attention.
But then, GOD!
As we explore the wonders of Psalm 37, which is all about de-stressing our lives and "feeding on His faithfulness" (or, as Jesus later put it, "Take my yoke upon you ... and you shall find rest for your souls"), we come to the instruction in verse 5: "Commit your way to the Lord."
"My WAY? WHAT way?"
Think of the old proverb "Man proposes; God disposes." (Sure, that's not a direct quote from the Bible, but the principle is absolutely scriptural; for example, Proverbs 16:9 and 19:21.) The idea is that we are free to PENCIL IN our goals, schedules, and itineraries for life's journey, but IMMEDIATELY commit them to our loving Father, earnestly and actively seeking His divine eraser and red-ink correction pen!
Back to Moses—the mighty prince who had escaped those same Egyptian courts by the skin of his teeth forty years earlier. And his "way," his life plan, was to just keep doing what he was doing: hang out on the back side of the desert disguised as a sheepherder, raise children and grandchildren, and ABSOLUTELY NOT do anything to attract Pharaoh's attention.
But then, GOD!
Yes, "I AM That I AM" came with His glorious eraser and red marker. And, before you know it, Moses was catching cobras by the tail. Which was practice for his showdown with Pharaoh—who fancied himself the great cobra-god-king (as evidenced by his headpiece featuring a rearing cobra).
So, then ... let's bring this in for a landing on OUR OWN runway. And here's where it gets dicey. Sure, this all sounds good on paper ... in a "Bible story." But MOSES CHEATED, right!? Think about it!... He's standing there in front of a miraculous Burning Bush, with the miraculous voice of the Great "I AM" thundering in his ears, recruiting him for a miraculous assignment, and then topping it off by ... POOF! turning Moses' walking stick into a live snake. Sure, under those circumstances, I could see myself in his shoes—ahem! that's right ... skip the shoes—plucking up the nerve to catch that critter by the tail. Wouldn't YOU, given all those props to boost YOUR faith?
But my own day-to-day experiences? Not always so overtly miraculous. I can identify more with Dave, the guy in our lead story. I'm the real estate agent that's got it all figured out. I know my profession. I know the housing market. I know the rotten state of the economy. I just ... KNOW!
But then, GOD. Hallelujah!
You can read the full details and the amazing ending in David Herr's book. Which is packed with many such stories chronicling his journey of faith—learning step-by-step to expect God to show up and do amazing things ... even in a field as mundane as real estate! It's just what happens, in any walk of life, when you "commit your way to the Lord." In a nutshell—spoiler alert—Dave (or GOD, actually!) DID sell Russ's house for EXACTLY $134,000, and it sold to a down-and-out couple who desperately needed a touch of God in their lives. Which came to them through the purchase of the house. And that's not all! Russ again heard from God to gift BACK to that couple $25,000+ of the purchase price in the form of a check. And that check was EXACTLY the amount the couple needed at EXACTLY the right moment to resolve a crisis and turn their lives around.
See, Russ was probably a step or two ahead of Dave on his learning journey. Learning to stop stressing. To, instead, pencil in your plans and "commit [them] to the Lord" for his glorious editing, following His instructions even when they sound "crazy."
Someone once asked Smith Wigglesworth, who is remembered as the "apostle of faith"—a man of great signs and wonders—"How can I achieve such faith as yours?"
Wigglesworth's response is often quoted, for its stunning simplicity: “How can one come to possess great faith? Now listen, here is the answer to that: First, the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Faith must grow by soil, moisture, and exercise.”
Remember the shepherd boy David? He didn't start his career on the battlefield with Goliath. As he explained to King Saul, it started small. It started with learning to bravely trust God against wild animals that attacked his sheep. Then larger wild animals. Then, ultimately, the giant who defied God's own sheep—the Israelites.
So, how do I put this into practice? How do I bridge the gap from stressing over my plans, my future, what I believe God is asking me to do, versus what my senses tell me is doable? How do I get used to obeying what I THINK God is asking me to do, when it just SOUNDS CRAZY? In other words, how do I advance from where I am now in my spiritual journey to ... coolly catching cobras on command??
So, then ... let's bring this in for a landing on OUR OWN runway. And here's where it gets dicey. Sure, this all sounds good on paper ... in a "Bible story." But MOSES CHEATED, right!? Think about it!... He's standing there in front of a miraculous Burning Bush, with the miraculous voice of the Great "I AM" thundering in his ears, recruiting him for a miraculous assignment, and then topping it off by ... POOF! turning Moses' walking stick into a live snake. Sure, under those circumstances, I could see myself in his shoes—ahem! that's right ... skip the shoes—plucking up the nerve to catch that critter by the tail. Wouldn't YOU, given all those props to boost YOUR faith?
But my own day-to-day experiences? Not always so overtly miraculous. I can identify more with Dave, the guy in our lead story. I'm the real estate agent that's got it all figured out. I know my profession. I know the housing market. I know the rotten state of the economy. I just ... KNOW!
But then, GOD. Hallelujah!
You can read the full details and the amazing ending in David Herr's book. Which is packed with many such stories chronicling his journey of faith—learning step-by-step to expect God to show up and do amazing things ... even in a field as mundane as real estate! It's just what happens, in any walk of life, when you "commit your way to the Lord." In a nutshell—spoiler alert—Dave (or GOD, actually!) DID sell Russ's house for EXACTLY $134,000, and it sold to a down-and-out couple who desperately needed a touch of God in their lives. Which came to them through the purchase of the house. And that's not all! Russ again heard from God to gift BACK to that couple $25,000+ of the purchase price in the form of a check. And that check was EXACTLY the amount the couple needed at EXACTLY the right moment to resolve a crisis and turn their lives around.
See, Russ was probably a step or two ahead of Dave on his learning journey. Learning to stop stressing. To, instead, pencil in your plans and "commit [them] to the Lord" for his glorious editing, following His instructions even when they sound "crazy."
Someone once asked Smith Wigglesworth, who is remembered as the "apostle of faith"—a man of great signs and wonders—"How can I achieve such faith as yours?"
Wigglesworth's response is often quoted, for its stunning simplicity: “How can one come to possess great faith? Now listen, here is the answer to that: First, the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Faith must grow by soil, moisture, and exercise.”
Remember the shepherd boy David? He didn't start his career on the battlefield with Goliath. As he explained to King Saul, it started small. It started with learning to bravely trust God against wild animals that attacked his sheep. Then larger wild animals. Then, ultimately, the giant who defied God's own sheep—the Israelites.
So, how do I put this into practice? How do I bridge the gap from stressing over my plans, my future, what I believe God is asking me to do, versus what my senses tell me is doable? How do I get used to obeying what I THINK God is asking me to do, when it just SOUNDS CRAZY? In other words, how do I advance from where I am now in my spiritual journey to ... coolly catching cobras on command??
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
You command my trust. That I de-stress and "commit my ways" to You. That I ultimately catch cobras by the tail and do other things that don't seem to make any sense, but that You have prompted me to do. Which means they would lead to the perfect and beautiful outcome You have planned ... if only I would obey. Please give me the grace to start small, but START. Maybe practice doing one "crazy" thing each day at Your Spirit's prompting. First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. I choose to start TODAY. I choose to commit my ways to You. Show me today's cobra—a LITTLE one, please!—and, by Your grace, I'll be catching the "big boys" soon enough.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
---
Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 4/20/2025.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
Monday, April 7, 2025
SLUGGARDS COME IN VANILLA, CHOCOLATE, AND STRAWBERRY - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #3
"Do not fret ... Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."
– Psalms 37:1,4 (NKJV, excerpts)
"A few treats!? The Captain wasn't kidding!" says young Kris Atwood, as he crests a strenuous mountain climb and encounters a rest area piled high with sweets and goodies. "Ohhhhh! Mmmmmmmm!! Wow! Let's see... [munch ... slurp] Ohhhhhh, wow!"
Here he's startled, his feasting interrupted by three heavy-eyed Sluggards in Neapolitan colors, who spend their lives at this very spot doing nothing but napping and devouring treats.
"Sit dowwwwwnnnnn. Enjoy the feasssssssttttt [sllllurrrrrrp!]," says Vanilla Sluggard.
"Rest uuuuuuuuuup a biiiiiiiiit," says Chocolate Sluggard.
"Caaaaaan't," says Kris, becoming more drowsy by the moment under the Sluggards' spell. "Gotta get to the Gaaaaaaates of Wizzzzzdommmmmmmmmmm."
"Noooooo hurry, dahhhhhhhhhhhling!" says Strawberry Sluggard, "reeeeeeeeeeeelaxxxxxxxxxx!"
"Resssssssssst. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat!" says Vanilla Sluggard, dragging Kris by the foot with a candy cane toward another pile of sweets.
"Sluggards!! Captain said to watch out for sluggards!" says Kris, as he springs to life and takes off running down the Path of Righteousness, continuing his trek to Mount Wizzdom.
"Got away!" the Sluggards whimper, as they give up and return to their idleness.
–Scene from the stop-action claymation movie Hoomania (Adelphi Productions / Gospel Films, 1985)
* * *
Our protagonist in this vintage kids' flick [Hint: YouTube!] is Kristopher "Kris" Atwood, who is magically transformed into a pawn in a board game based on the Book of Proverbs, where he is schooled in the Ways of Wisdom. As he enters the game, the "Captain" explains the object of the game (which is to reach the Gates of Mount Wizzdom) and reads him the rules—including: beware of Sluggards, don't draw a Dodo Card, and you're allowed to sample some treats that you'll encounter along the way.
Continuing our journey through Psalm 37—the chapter on de-stressing our lives and feeding on His faithfulness—let's ponder what may be the number-one stressor we all hate to admit to: "If I take His yoke upon me ... I'LL NEVER AGAIN BE ALLOWED TO ENJOY THE GOOD THINGS OF LIFE!"
See, we imagine God to be like the von Trapp father character in The Sound of Music—all about work, and study, and ... oh, horrors! ... certainly NO relaxation or enjoyment! And yet, our Lord front-loads this point at the top of the Psalm. Right after the preamble about "do not fret" and "feed on His faithfulness," He drops into the laundry list of stressors and how to combat them. And in His divine wisdom, He starts right out of the gate with Number One: "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."
Are we saying that God's antidote to stress is that He wants us fat and happy? Certainly not! If that were the case, then the Apostle Paul seems to have missed the memo. See I Corinthians chapter 4: "hungry and thirsty ... beaten and homeless ... reviled and defamed" ... oh, my! In this world we will have tribulation, and being ambassadors of Christ naturally comes with adversity.
And yet, here's where we circle back to Matthew 11:28-30, because HIS YOKE IS EASY. Just as our Lord endured the cross because of "the joy that was set before Him," He empowers us to find great JOY in the journey. He DE-STRESSES the tribulation and adversity, balancing it with His provision of every good thing in Christ Jesus.
How, then, do we achieve that delicate balance? It's simple, as with all facets of Psalm 37. We start in verse 3 by trusting (in the Lord), doing (good), and dwelling (in the land--where we feed on His faithfulness). In other words, STOP the fretting! Yield up your neck to His yoke; He does the rest ... and GIVES us rest.
- In the Old Testament, God balanced the duty of bringing sacrifices to the temple—heave offerings and wave offerings—with the joy of feasting on those sacrifices ... "whatever your heart desires" (Deuteronomy 14:26).
- As the people experienced great revival, with tears of repentance, Nehemiah encouraged them to "go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV)
- When the prodigal's brother complained that his father had never given him "a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends," did the father admonish him about the evils of feasting? On the contrary, dad responded, "You don't get it! All I have is yours!"
Ah ... and here's where we begin to find our Heavenly Father's heart revealed in the words of Jesus! See, when we grasp the fact that we're true sons and daughters of the Almighty, that all He has is ours, that we can offer our neck to His yoke without fear—to work HIS field, to be about HIS business, to seek first HIS kingdom and righteousness in the earth, to be servant-ambassadors of Heaven rather than living for ourselves, and to DELIGHT ourselves in the Lord and in His yoke—well, NOW we experience the fulfillment of the desires of our heart ... which just might be the desires of HIS heart birthed in us more and more each day, hallelujah!
"But," you might ask, "exactly WHEN should I expect to see the desires of my heart fulfilled?"
Remember the rules of the game. As the Hoomania "Captain" said, you will encounter "treats along the way." Sometimes it will be after a grueling uphill battle, or simply when you least expect it. But with your neck in the yoke, you will surely find goodness, mercy, and rest for your soul—His "peace that passes all understanding."
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
Forgive me for secretly being a Sluggard—prioritizing the "few treats along the way," such as comfort, entertainment, and relaxation—to the exclusion of serving in Your yoke. Help me de-stress at the thought of missing out on the "good things of life" and instead "trust, do, and dwell" in Your faithfulness, seeking Your kingdom first, and thereby finding Your promised provision and REST.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
---
Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 4/6/2025.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
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