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| MISPLACED BUT By Robert J. Morgan Robert C. McQuilkin established a great Bible conference in Asheville, North Carolina, called Ben Lippen, and years later Vance Havner preached there. Both men came away with the same lesson from Psalm 23:1. In the early days of Ben Lippen, McQuilkin gave a breakfast devotion one morning, saying: "Is the Lord meeting all your needs or isn't he? Now most Christians will say, ' Why, certainly the Lord is meeting all my needs, but ---' and then follow that 'but' with all the things that are troubling them. ' The Lord is my Shepherd, but I have not a gift for personal work. The Lord is my Shepherd, but I don't have a job. The Lord is my Shepherd, but my child is sick.' You see? You have the 'but' in the wrong place. And so I would say, ' We have tremendous deficits, but the Lord is my Shepherd. I'm not very strong, but the Lord is my Shepherd. I'm all confused, but the Lord is my Shepherd...' " Years later, evangelist Vance Havner came to preach at Ben Lippen. He was worried about his wife, Sara, who had contracted a rare disease. Her life was ebbing away, and doubt and dread overwhelmed him. While there he began thinking of Psalm 23. The Lord impressed him that he was acting more like a billy goat than a sheep --- always butting. "Yes, I know that the Lord is my Shepherd BUT... I'm growing old and who is going take care of me? What if I get sick and my helpmate cannot come to my aid?" Havner climbed the nearby mountain top to pray, and there the Lord restored his soul. Surely he who has brought me through nearly seventy-two years of dangers, toils and snares will see that I finish the journey. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me the rest of the way and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. "Lord, he said, "help me be a lamb and not a billy goat!" ******************************************************************* |