Psalm
27 v 1-2 NIV
Unless
the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
I love
this Psalm as it reminds me where my trust belongs. How often do you find yourself
trusting in your own efforts, your own plans? If you’re anything like me, too
often! Like a bungee jumper, we take an initial leap of faith, but when it comes
down to it, we’re still tied by our ankles to the bridge of our own
understanding, our limited resources and human wisdom. Sure, after the initial
fall there are some ups (and downs!) but at the end of the day, we’re left
hanging by our feet, staring at the same dry riverbed of our best intentions
that are doomed to fall short every time.
But
this Psalm hints at a better way. Imagine doing life strapped into a Jesus
parachute. When you take a leap of faith, when you jump out of the aeroplane—your
full trust is in Him and in Him alone. There is nothing tying you to the
limitations of trying to do life in your own strength. You are free to be blown
wherever the wind of the Holy Spirit may take you, knowing that you can rest in
Him, without worrying because he’s got your back.
Prayer:
You love us! Your love for us is perfect and we can
cuddle up and rest in it. You don’t want us to worry, or try and make this
broken life work without You. Our resources will never stretch far enough to
make a difference, but You let us use yours. Father, help us to understand what
it means to live, loved by You. Not tolerated, but truly loved!
If you liked this devotion, you'll love this...
Pelican Book Group authors and staff have come together to produce a 40 day devotional for Lent. Download your free copy here.
If you liked this devotion, you'll love this...
Pelican Book Group authors and staff have come together to produce a 40 day devotional for Lent. Download your free copy here.
Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters.
Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.
Shackles is available as a free ebook from Smashwords.
Thanks Dianne for this post. Prov 3:5-6 has been prominent in my mind these past few days and it has a similar ring to it as your post. Yes, trust in the Lord with all of our heart and not lean on our own understanding.
ReplyDeleteIt's always wonderful when the Lord nudges us again with a similar word.
Bless,
Ian, that verse is one of my go-to verses. Love the resonance!
DeleteBlessings to you and your family
Great post, Dianne. It's amazing how many times we start with the beat of intentions but quickly begin to depend on ourselves instead of God. Great reminder to keep our eyes fixed in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteLeila, I couldn't agree more. I think on some level, worrying / fretting / trying harder feels like the 'responsible' thing to do and yet it is a complete trap set to rob us of the joy of co-labouring with Him.
DeleteThanks Di! LOL! I smiled to myself when I read it, wondering if Marion had read it yet! I love your illustratiins and analogies.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shirl. God knows me so well - when He wants to get through to me, the only way to do it is in pictures... as simple as possible! Haha!
DeleteThanks Di! LOL! I smiled to myself when I read it, wondering if Marion had read it yet! I love your illustratiins and analogies.
ReplyDelete