Week 16: Psalm 21

Psalm 21

When my husband unexpectedly lost his job almost two years ago, there was a feeling of shock and dismay. My expectation was that if God was going to allow something so horrible to happen, He was also going to come through in an incredible way for us by providing for our needs. In my line of thinking, this looked like a friend organizing a GoFundMe that raised a gajillion dollars! Or someone giving us a brand new minivan! Or vindication for my husband's mistreatment!

Alas, none of these things happened. 

There was no GoFundMe, but there was an anonymous gift of $2500 waiting for us at the church office one day. 

There was no gift of a brand new minivan, but there was money available after the sale of our home to purchase a sensible, used van that would meet our needs. 

There was no vindication for my husband's mistreatment, but there was the provision of a new job that is a much better fit, and a move to a town that has only brought life to the heartbeat of our family. 

So often, when faced with trials, I think of the verse, “God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). And in this line of thinking, I am limited to believing that means that He will prosper me in health and wealth—the epitome of the American Dream. 

But in this week's psalm, we see David praising God for giving him the gift of Himself. 

The joy of His presence. 

The peace of His glory. 

The wonder of His provision. 

As I prayerfully walked through our season of loss and grief, I considered my expectations and hopes of abundant provision in light of the wilderness the Israelites found themselves in after being delivered from the hands of the Egyptians. 

The yoke of slavery had been broken, and their lives had been made new. Yet they were still complaining about the manna that God poured down from heaven, because it didn't meet their expectations. It wasn't quite what they pictured. So they grumbled. They complained. They whined. And they didn't receive the greatest gift of all—the joy of His presence. 

In the beauty of spring, we see the buds beginning to burst forth from the ground, and we are reminded of the winter season before. The harshness of the cold gives way to new life, and we remember that while we may not have a field full of flowers, we can give thanks for the manna that He gives each day. The sustaining grace of our Savior is enough for each day. May we thank Him for being exceedingly abundantly more than all that we deserve. 

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