Readings for today: Psalms 65-67, 69-70
I have seen plenty and I have seen want in my life. I’ve had seasons where my bank account was full and times where it was empty. I’ve had years where I made plenty of money and was able to provide abundantly for my family and years where I’ve needed public assistance to feed them. I’ve seen both ends of the economic spectrum. I’ve moved up and down the levels of our economic system. Here’s what I’ve discovered to be true…God provides. He provides what we need in the time we need it. Maybe not more than we need but never less than what we need. Maybe not what we want or desire but enough for us to make it through another day.
Ancient Israel was an agrarian society. As such, they depended on the harvests each year to provide them with food. They worked hard. They were faithful to till the ground. Plant the fields. Do what they could to tear up the weeds or chase away the animals who might steal their crop. But as any farmer knows, there’s only so much one can do. Ultimately, there are so many things outside our control. The sun. The rain. The health of the soil. These things can only come from God. This is why David sings Psalm 65. It’s a song celebrating the bountiful harvest. It’s a song of praise to God the provider. It’s a song declaring the goodness of God the creator.
“All your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room. Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, Muzzler of the sea storm and wave crash - of mobs in noisy riot - far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, “Come and worship.” (Psalm 65:5b-8 MSG)
“You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. You drench the ploughed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!” (Psalm 65:9-13 NLT)
“The river of God has plenty of water.” I love that line. I’ve experienced it in my own life. No matter how much I’ve struggled or how far I’ve fallen or how little I may have, God always provides. His river is always flowing, providing what I need. Sometimes it feels like a trickle but it gets me through. Sometimes it feels like a torrent and I am overwhelmed by its abundance. Most of the time, I find it to be a slow, meandering stream constantly refreshing my soul.
In John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman. She lives on the edges of society. Marginalized due to life’s circumstances and her own sin. She is desperately thirsty so she comes to the well for water and there she meets Jesus. What does he offer her? Living water. Water from an endless supply. Water that never runs dry. “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst - not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” (John 4:13-14 MSG) Friends, come to the waters Jesus offers and let Him provide for your thirsty soul.
Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, Psalm 51