In A Sun-Scorched Land -- E-day minus six

A year ago, I noticed as I did people’s taxes that the economy wasn’t good. I particularly remember one couple who both worked at the same shop. They’d each been cut from five days to four. They hadn’t been making much to start with, and the financial strain told on their faces. The odd thing was, without seeing other people’s W­2s, I’d never have known the economy was struggling.

I suppose there are a number of ways of looking at that, but this morning as I was reading my Bible, I considered how often the Lord talks about making rivers in the desert, laying a table before His people in the presence of their enemies, or providing for them in a sun-scorched land. Those are all pretty phrases, but what they mean is that when everything looks real bad—when nobody has enough food or money or anything else—He will make sure His people have enough.

Not just barely enough, either. He speaks about satisfying His people in those conditions. Well, you don’t get satisfied with just barely enough. If you’ve ever lived on just barely enough money, or tried to lose weight by eating just barely enough food, or worn enough clothes to just barely keep from frostbite, you know that just barely enough isn’t satisfying at all!

Yet satisfying His people is what the Lord wants to do. He’s got to do something to prove how wonderful He is! He’s got to find a way to treat His people better than everyone else. Somehow He must make a distinction between those who trust Him and those who don’t.

And that’s not my idea; that’s His idea.

I am convinced that if we want to live peaceful lives, we have got to keep this assurance in the front of our thinking. Living in fear (or worry—it’s the same thing) may seem excusable "under the circumstances," but when the Lord looked at His fearful people, He said, "Why have you forgotten me?" We can’t remember God and be afraid at the same time, apparently.

Am I ever afraid? Do I ever worry? Oh, sure. But that doesn’t mean I should. That doesn’t mean I’m right. That doesn’t mean I’ve got an excuse.

When I was growing up, my Mom had a plaque in her kitchen that read, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee." As a kid, I didn’t understand how it was even possible to think about God all the time. How could you manage that? I still can’t say that I do it, but now, at least, I know what it means.

In the middle of every negative circumstance, God wants to do a miracle. He is right there, in your desert, waiting for you to wait for Him, rather than trying to provide for yourself. He wants to provide for you.

And He may provide for you so well that you don’t even know you’re in a sun­scorched land!

If this message has been forwarded to you, and you would like to be added to Charissa’s mailing list please send your request to info@charissaschalk.com. Thank you.