This Psalm, written by King David, shows God’s power unveiled in nature, a thunderstorm towers majestically above the Promised Land, arousing David’s praise. It sparks the realization that it is the Lord who is enthroned in nature (v 3-9.) Surely, so great a God strengthens and blesses His people (v 10-11.)
Yes, I believe God is enthroned in nature and all our circumstances are held in His hands. Do I agree with the way God works out each circumstance, certainly not! I remind myself that I cannot see the entire picture and if my relationship with the Lord is one of trust, I need to rely and hold onto God’s unconditional love. Love is the language the heart speaks. It holds the power to heal, forgive, connect and accept. It might be easy to write these words, but living them on the journey often is quite challenging. Can we choose to ‘trust’ and depend on God’s word, even when our hearts are breaking?
In our caretaking experiences, circumstances are often beyond our control, no matter how proactive we try to be. We all have troubles, but can’t let this be our primary focus. For me, when the difficulties overwhelm, I realize I need to receive God’s love in greater depth, breadth and constancy. Ephesians 3:17-19, “And that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Can we remind ourselves that God’s love is ours, for we are made in the image of God, reflecting the qualities of God: love, joy, kindness, compassion, creativity etc. Yes, there will be times we might feel unworthy of God’s love, but that is an error in our thinking and God says, we are worthy! When difficulties or loss spin us out of control, we are asked to trust ‘wholeheartedly,’ praising God throughout for the strength to overcome. Too often, humanly, I get in trouble when I forget that God is leading. The promise of strength and peace can be ours, particularly when we trust God is orchestrating every event to ‘ultimately’ benefit those we love and ourselves. Secure in God’s love, anything is possible.
We are asked to take comfort from the words of Isaiah 55:8-9: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are My ways above your ways and My thoughts above your thoughts.” The core of our relationship is trust and focusing on the Lord. Are we willing to trust, even what we cannot yet see? Comments always welcome.