Appreciating God’s Provision
Whether you’re in the middle of a disaster, you’ve just come out of one by the skin of your teeth, or you’re heading into one, there’s amazing news: You’re not alone.
Your heavenly Father sees you in the middle of your darkest days. He hears your cries for help. And he knows how much you can handle on your own and how much you’ll require his intervention.
Sprinkled through the Psalms, David and other psalmists repeatedly cry out to the Lord for help. Psalm 5:1–2 shares a request that’s repeated often throughout the psalms, and so often in our lives too:
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray. (ESV)
Throughout the rest of Psalm 5, David elaborated on his request, but it’s the final verses of the psalm that are attention-grabbing:
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.
(verses 11–12, ESV)
Whenever we’re brought to the end of ourselves by the tragedies and unexpected twists of life, it’s the perfect time for us to cry out to the Lord. We can groan and pray.
Even when the silence of God and waiting and wondering feel absolutely draining, we still can take refuge in our heavenly Father. And when we do that, we’re able to rejoice and sing for joy.
When we’re in the middle of stress or strife, doubt or dismay, joy might feel like the farthest thing from us. But it’s vital to remember God spreads his protection over his children. When we seek refuge in him and him alone, he not only protects us but also blesses the righteous and covers them with his favor. His protection, blessing, and favor are what helps us experience joy.
God’s faithful protection and provision
No matter how unpredictable and uncertain situations have felt throughout my life, I can say that, without a doubt, the Lord has always faithfully provided and protected. (I’ve shared many examples of his faithfulness in my book, The Tension of Tidy.)
He may not have always led me where I was comfortable going, but he’s faithfully been my guide. He’s been a refuge and safe haven in the storms of life.
With that sort of protection and provision in mind, consider the enormous promises tucked into Psalm 68:4–6:
Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult before him!
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. (ESV)
Again, we’re reminded to praise the Lord, and we’re reminded of his provision and protection. He is Father of the fatherless. He protects widows who’ve lost the protection of their husbands. No matter what kind of situation that’s brought by loss or chaos, God will intervene.
He will create safe places in the midst of stress.
The importance of homes
Not only do we get the reassurance that God steps in to protect and provide for those who have experienced huge losses, but we also receive a reminder that homes are important. They’re important to us as humans, and they’re important to the Lord.
How do we know they’re important? Because “God settles the solitary in a home” (verse 6). He knows the calming, restorative power a home can bring.
He could choose another way to nurture and provide, but his grace-filled solution for people who have lost close relationships is to settle them in homes.
When you’re settled in a home
Dwelling in a home is important. Homes help us feel like we belong—like we’re connected to a place and sheltered.
Loneliness hurts, whether you’re solitary, fatherless, a widow, or widower. Yet God wants to give people a comforting antidote to loneliness.
Even if homes are a blessing and remedy from the Lord, not everyone feels like they’re settled in a home.
If you have been settled in a home, be on the lookout for those who don’t have a family or a home to call their own. Intentionally reach out and include these people in your life. Make the invitation. Go an extra step to welcome the lonely into your life. Become a friendly, safe place for them.
In a hard place?
And if you find yourself stuck in the middle of a hard place right now, are you seeking the Lord and attempting to make right choices? If so, you’ll be able to exult in God even in your trials. Like David, you can sing songs of praise when you feel like you’re deep in a pit.
Even if you don’t see a way out, remember that you are never alone. Trust that God is working and protecting and guiding, because he is. And thank him for the gift of your home, wherever he has settled you right now.
How are you currently using the home God has given you?
For more thoughts on this topic of homes and turning to God in your moments of despair and disappointment, read Hilary Bernstein’s book The Tension of Tidy, available in bookstores everywhere.
