O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
Psalms 63:1 NKJV
psalms
Facing Fear
As I was reading this morning this verse stood out and I remembered how God used it to deliver me in a very dark time of my life. I often create a verse image as a way of underlining its importance for the day.
Later in the day I met a woman who had just been put into hospice care as I greeted people at the end of the chapel service at nursing home. Kathy was sweet, gentle and yet naturally afraid at knowing she had come to the end of her life. As we talked I shared how God had helped me when I had passed through a time of great fear and anxiety. I wish I could say she instantaneously received peace, but she did begin to become more calm. Then Kathy began to talk about her own experience of needing to perform CPR on her mother. She recalled that time and how difficult it had been being the care giver. We prayed together and committed ourselves to God’s care. I know that finding ourselves weak and helpless is not easy. God loves all the Kathys and the Sues, the Joes and the Bobs. We are all loved whether we are just beginning our voyage or whether we are pulling our boats into shore. God is our light. He is our Salvation. He alone gives us courage at every dark hour. Who shall we fear? He is also the strength of my life and His promise is that every fear will be defeated!
Flourishing or Flailing?
While struggling to pull out dandelions I have always been amazed at how their outward flimsiness belies their power and tenacity. Those weak looking weeds are really tough guys! Not only are they hard to dig out, they even grow during drought and in a matter of weeks produce tremendous quantities of seeds to ensure their future generations. They are flourishing!
Their secret is not in looking good or being loved and cultivated by the general public. Dandelions like palm trees have roots that penetrate tough soils and draw moisture from deep below the surface. They thrive in spite of opposition. Then they astonish us with their lace like seed balloons ready to start new generations!
In this Psalm God gives a promise for when we enter our later years. He reminds us that old age need not be synonymous with weakness. God’s assurance is that if our roots reach down deeply into our relationship with Him that this may be the most fruitful and amazing time in all of life. We don’t need to just flail along through life’s race. We can be flourishing all the way through the final lap when He brings us home!
They are planted in the house of the Lord ; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Ps 92:13-15
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