Trustworthy Truths

"The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds." Psalm 145:15-17

Kari Beougher

Whenever I am tempted to be discontent about where the Lord has me, or long for Him to do something new in my life, I am comforted by the truths in this passage.
  
The eyes of all look to You- I love this reminder about what a great God we serve. Truly all of creation is dependent upon Him for life. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

 You give them their food in due time- My favorite part about this verse is "in due time." It doesn't just say that God is Provider-though He is. It also shows His sovereignty and perfect timing. God knows what we need and is faithful to provide it for us...at the proper time.

 You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing- It is in Christ that true satisfaction is found. He is the Giver of all good gifts, and only in Him can true fulfillment be found.

 The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds- God's plan can be fully trusted. He is righteous and kind in all that He does.

What are you longing for today? Are you discouraged? You can trust in the care, providence, and faithfulness of our God. Rest in the knowledge that He is Sovereign over all creation, His timing is perfect, and His ways are kind.

Hunger and Thirst

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6, New American Standard Bible). 

After a long hike, it's common to crave fruit, water, granola or something to satisfy thirst and hunger. I remember hiking with some friends in Tennessee this past summer, and we were relieved to find a rest spot to try to open a bag of dried fruit someone had brought (we tried, because the bag was stubbornly refusing to open for a while). Yet, more than food or water, we are made to need God and to have a relationship with Him. God gives forgiveness to us while we are still sinners, when we confess our sins, believe in His Son as our Savior, and turn to Him to lead us.

God desires to and has the ability to satisfy our hunger and to quench our thirst. He takes the first initiative, as He reaches out to save, teach, lead, and transform us. Revelation 3:20 says, "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will dine with him, and he with Me'" (NASB).  

As we seek to follow God, it helps to remember that God speaks to His people and gives assurance of His words. He does that through the Bible and the Holy Spirit. In His Word, we can learn from the past how He spoke through the prophets and through Jesus, His Son (John 13:15). Plus, we have the most excellent teacher in the divine Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

As we experience this relationship with God, with getting to know Him more, He transforms us and helps us follow Him.  Of course, we are not God, so we will continually need His instruction, wisdom, and grace. Let us ask God what He wants us to learn or do today, and let us remember that He is gracious to forgive us and to continue to help us along the way. 

Lord, as believers, we trust You and want to obey You. Give us hearts that hunger and thirst for You more than anything else. Help us live as witnesses to who You are, for Your glory and honor. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.summitattempt.com.