Genesis 24:9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

Genesis 32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

Matthew 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Isaiah 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

Isaiah 33:20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

What do all these passages have in common?

Me!

In me was a perception which moved me from one passage to another. If I had stopped with the first two passages and asked myself if there was a teachable understanding associated with the thigh of Abraham and his grandson Jacob, I never would have gotten to Isaiah 33:20 which was the Word of the Lord to me that day. This Word is mine, private and not a teachable moment.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

This is our struggle. We seek to understand why we were brought to this place when it is not the destination of our walk. It is just a step searching for a place to put our next footfall.

Psalm 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

It was the bottom of the 9^th. We were down by three as I stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded. I’d faced this pitcher many times. He knew I always took the first pitch. This was the pivotal moment. All my father had trained me to do in Little League and Pony League was leading up to this moment in the championship game.  Here it came as always, low and outside corner but in the strike zone. I drove it to the far right center wall clearing the fence by only a foot or two but so fast and powerful the outfielders had no time to react.

The crowd erupted, the bench emptied standing around home plate celebrating with each runner and the good work they had done to set up this moment. As I turned third headed for home I looked up into the stands for my father. He was nowhere to be seen and my heart sank. The delight of my soul was to do my father’s will. Without him it all became meaningless.

We all have a selfish streak in us. The motivations of our hearts is to derive pleasure. If there is no pleasure in life, what is the point in going on? Life would be meaningless. Even in the very best of selfless acts we do for others, there is that tinge of soulful delight in knowing that we have done the Father’s will. God the Father made us that way.

Proverbs 16:1-3 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.