Saturday, September 19, 2015

Our Daily Bread -- Tissue Boxes

Our Daily Bread -- Tissue Boxes

September 20, 2015

Read: Psalm 31:9-18
Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 4-6; 2 Corinthians 12

I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands. —Psalm 31:14-15

As I sat in the surgical waiting room, I had time to think. I had been here recently, when we received the jarring news that my only brother, much too young, was “brain dead.”

And so on this day, waiting for news about my wife who was undergoing a serious surgical procedure, I penned a lengthy note to her. Then, surrounded by nervous chatter and oblivious children, I listened for the quiet voice of God.

Suddenly, news! The surgeon wanted to see me. I went to a secluded room to wait. There, on the table, sat two tissue boxes, conspicuously available. They weren’t for the sniffles. They were for cold, hard phrases like I heard when my brother died—“brain dead” and “nothing we can do.”

In such times of grief or uncertainty, the honesty of the psalms makes them a natural place to turn. Psalm 31 was the heart-cry of David, who endured so much that he wrote, “My life is consumed by anguish” (v. 10). Compounding that grief was the pain of abandonment by his friends and neighbors (v. 11).

But David had the bedrock of faith in the one true God. “I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands” (vv. 14-15). His lament concludes with resounding encouragement and hope. “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (v. 24).

This time in the waiting room, the surgeon gave us good news: My wife could expect a full and complete recovery. Of course we’re relieved and grateful! But even if she hadn’t been “okay,” our times still remain in God’s capable hands. —Tim Gustafson

Lord, we give You our deepest grief and pain as well as our joy. Thank You for Your constant love and presence no matter what today holds for us. You alone are faithful!
When we put our problems in God’s hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.

INSIGHT: David was in great distress (v. 9) and in grave danger (v. 13) when he wrote Psalm 31. Because he was persecuted and threatened by powerful enemies, his close friends abandoned him (v. 11), considered him a lost cause, and left him alone to fend for himself (v. 12). Twice David affirmed his unwavering faith in God. He says in verse 6, “As for me, I trust in the Lord” and in verse 14, “But I trust in you, Lord.” Acknowledging that God has been faithful to him, David confidently committed his spirit to God and trusted Him to deliver him (v. 5). While on the cross, Jesus prayed the same prayer of trust to His Father, “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Sim Kay Tee

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

You can make a difference.

Even the smallest donation helps reach people around the world with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.

DONATE
Share With Your Friends Featured Video
Our Daily Bread Ministries

Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.

Our vision is to see people of all nations experiencing a personal relationship with Christ, growing to be more like Him, and serving in a local body of His family.

To read today's Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org.

Copyright © 2015, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution.

Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

Our Daily Bread Ministries | 3000 Kraft Ave | Grand Rapids, MI 49512

Manage Your Subscription

 

 

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home