Cookie Monster

Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! (Psalm 44:23-26 ESV).

I have a confession to make. I am the “Cookie Monster.” Anyone in my family will tell you that I cannot resist any cookie. Chocolate chip are the best; but, none are safe from my reach. Mary indulges me by purchasing a package on a regular basis. She also scolds me for not eating them in moderation. I cannot just eat one or two. I have to grab a handful and eat them all in one quick setting. I suppose Oreos are better for me since I at least pull them apart and pretend there are more than there really are. In fact, as I sit and write today’s devotional, I’m also munching through an entire package of Graham Crackers. Please feel free to chasten me as you desire; I deserve nothing less. Also know that it will probably not make any difference in my behavior. I am convinced that I cannot survive without an abundance of cookies! At least there is a spiritual lesson to be learned here other than not practicing this bad habit. We all have what might be called a “spiritual sweet tooth”. That is to say we all crave the spiritual equivalents of cookies for every meal. It is fortunate that the Lord knows better. He knows I need more than cookies in my spiritual life. He knows that my faith needs more than just the mountaintop highs of ecstasy and delight. So in God’s providence He works through the moments like the psalmist experiences in today’s reading. The psalmist declares that he feels as if God has forgotten and forsaken him. It is important to note in this psalm that these feelings do not come from any sin in the psalmist’s life (cf. vv. 17-19). The psalmist says that he feels covered with “deep darkness”. It is that time in his life that he feels the silence of God in a way that appears to suck the very moisture from the earth. It is dry and arid at a time when he is desperate for a drink of water. A. W. Tozer acknowledges this experience and advises “to ignore it or to tell God about it without any sense of guilt.” The effectiveness and reach of your prayers must never be measured by any of your feelings about them. Your faith in God’s goodness and faithfulness will grow as He weans you from too many spiritual cookies. With just a few weeks remaining in Lent, perhaps today would be a good time for you to cry out to the Lord in your distress. Tell him your frustrations and commit yourself to trusting his path for your life. He will work it together for good no matter how bad it looks right now.