May 18 -Reading 46: Psalms 133-135, 137-138

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; the Lord will fulfill His purpose for me…” (Psalm 138:7a-8a)

These verses from Psalm 138 can bring such comfort. No matter what circumstances we face in life, we can trust him to preserve our life until His purposes have been fulfilled. Nothing and no one can interfere with His plans for us.

But sometimes we aren’t exactly on board with His purposes for us. Why? Because if we had our way, we would never choose to walk “in the midst of trouble” in the first place.

That’s when it helps us to remember the truth: “This life is. no longer about us, our comfort nor our pleasure.” Now that we belong to Him, our life is all about fulfilling HIS purposes for us and bringing HIM glory. Sometimes, trouble allows us to shine for Him. At other times, He uses trouble to prune and train us so we can mature and be more fruitful for Him.

Those of us who garden know that, left unattended, a garden can very quickly fill with weeds that choke our everything else. Consistent weeding, fertilizing, and pruning are necessary for a fruitful harvest.

The same is true of our human heart. Left to our own devices, we have a natural bent to sinful ways, to “weeds” if you will. We should not be surprised when sin sprouts up and pops up in our lives. A daily check-in with our Master Gardener is a great way to keep those sprouts from taking over. It certainly is less painful and less disturbing to our hearts and lives if plucked out as a little sprout than if we allow it to flourish and become a stronghold.

We will always be in need of our Master Gardener, our Redeemer and our Lord. As we read these Psalms to Him today, let’s rejoice that He preserves us until His purposes are fulfilled. And as we intercede for each other and our nation, let’s welcome His tender tending, so we can bear more fruitful for His kingdom.