Trusting Truth- 40 Days of Psalm 37 (Day 19)

"In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty" Psalm 37:19

Do you believe that your inheritance as a follower of Christ is God's divine providence? Do you really believe that God knows what you need more than you do? That He'll allow you to enjoy "plenty" in times like these? In a culture in which hurry and worry make up the majority of our day and the urgent seemingly outweighs the important we are frequently running through this life like thoroughbreds with blinders on. Our outlook is just that...OUR outlook. Though we believe in God, tell everyone else that He knows what's best for us and are taught that He has a plan through Christ to let us spend eternity with Him after we die; we rarely stop sprinting towards what we think we need and instead take the time to look around at what God has already given us. If we would just learn to be content with a gallop through this life instead of a sprint; we may be able to begin to grow the grateful heart that allows us to experience joy in times of disaster and appreciate having enough food for the day regardless of what we have in the "Fridge" for tomorrow. It's in trusting God's divine providence that this word from David is fulfilled.

I have a habit of looking for brilliant quotes in the morning. They help to give me perspective throughout the day and have been a major blessing in my maturity as a follower of what one friend calls the "revolutionary rabbi". Though I struggle with fear and worry about whether or not I'll ever become "what I'm supposed to become" or if I'll ever feel "at home" in this life, I'm learning day by day to let go of my own dreams and desires in favor of trusting God and what He has for my family and me. This morning I came across a truthful word by a well known Russian author named Alexander Solzhenitsyn that helped me to change the fearful thinking that was already consuming me when I woke. Though he is not known to be a Christian (from what I've seen), his words were more Christ-like than many sermons I hear from some of the most well known Christian churches in America. He states, "The meaning of earthly existence lies, not as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering, but in the development of the soul." Have you considered that sometimes "less is more" as the old cliche goes?

David's word today in Psalm 37 spoke to me in a brand new way after I read this quote. Before reading the quote, out of own fear of having nothing (by worldly standards) I automatically assumed that this piece of scripture is God's battle cry against famine and disaster in my life. I began to fantasize about what God was going to give me and because of that, I placed on the "blinders" once again. However, if my existence lies more in the development of my soul than in the development of my "false self", times of famine and disaster may actually be the biggest times of personal growth in terms of character and perspective. As mentioned yesterday, it is in the Valley's that we are able to understand the majesty of being on a mountain and it's the times of hurt, pain, sorrow, and a loss of control of our own life that we learn to let go, slow down, open our eyes and trust God.

Though I could speak so much on the development of the soul I want to end today with a question to all of you that was presented to me about a month ago. What satisfies your soul? When I was asked this simple question I began to think about the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect income, the perfect "life". However, as I read today's scripture and consider the truth of the quote above I can't help but think that once again I was way off in my original thoughts and eventual answer. When I consider now what satisfies my soul, it is in knowing that my life is entrusted to God's perfect plan. When I realize that I can trust that He is able to grow me in times of disaster and famine even more than in times that I consider to be stable and comfortable I began to understand what is truly meant by today's passage.