Exodus 9:5 And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land.

If we could only see things from God’s point of view, but we don’t. We see things from within our own reality. Our circumstances color our opinions and emotions. What if I were to change the phrase appointed a set time to say the time was ripe? Would you look at the circumstances of the times preceding today and see that the time is ripe for change? You would gauge the conversations, events, and see a progression which might lead to what happens next.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Think about the people to whom Jesus spoke these words. They were subject to a ruthless Roman emperor who had littered their countryside with thousands of crucifixions. Rome showed no mercy. The time was ripe for mercy, they longed for mercy because of their circumstances. It was no wonder that they hung on every word. They wanted to know how they could obtain mercy and here was a great rabbi to teach them how.

We are all seeking something when the time is ripe in our lives to listen. It might not be mercy. We might need love. We might need identity. We might need justice. We seek that thing in our life that seems most lacking or dominating depending on our circumstance. The answer isn’t much different for each of us now as it was then.

We cannot accept one aspect of God and ignore the rest. We cannot pick and choose. “I will take mercy but stop with the justice thing, I don’t want to think about that.” It does not work that way. Jesus came and showed us all the Father was, in all His glory, love, mercy, just, righteous, healer, redeemer, and yes Savior. God is not a menu, you cannot pick and choose what fits your circumstances. If you seek mercy then you have to accept all that God is to receive it.

John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Because they could not accept all of Jesus.

2 Kings 7:1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

Today’s telling isn’t going to be spiritual insight. It is going to be about people watching. Yesterday I served my wife as she did business in barter town. Wimberly Market Days is a great place to observe people. Here are a couple from the day.

Mom and dad with their four children come into the shop. The three younger boys had two one dollar bills in hand. They came with older sis who had some babysitting money to spend. They looked around not expecting to find anything they wanted, it’s a jewelry shop. The boys had been given money by dad to spend wisely. A lesson was being taught.

Normally we might have just given away these chips of geos to cute kids like these, but a lesson was being taught. I recognized the look on dad’s face as he watched the boys. “Value son. Get value.” I knew not to just give, that would have gone against the lesson. The each spend a dollar for two geos.

Mom was so proud of her daughter. A seventh grader with a passion for veterinary medicine. Bright confident and motivated, if this young girl was the example of parenting skills, those boys are headed in the right direction for a meaningful life.

Then there was the three grown daughters of a retiring school teacher. Her eye took to the glistening opal necklaces. Perhaps a little pricy, and definitely not a bargain shoppers dream. But mom took it out into the sunlight where it radiated almost as brightly as mom’s face. They left without buying.

Twenty minutes later they returned. The elder daughter made a counter offer on the opal. I was so happy to see my wife accept the offer. We wouldn’t make as much profit, but I like to think we received that much value in the joy we got to see, in love expressed and love received. How can you put a price on that?

In short, good life is happening all around us, even if it isn’t happening to us, we can still appreciate it and take pleasure in it.