“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” ~Psalm 37:3
There’s something inherently reciprocal in the idea of befriending. It’s not a one way deal. Rather it is full of the promise of receiving the special joy and security of friendship.
The word translated here as “befriend” comes from the Hebrew word ra ‘ ah. It’s also translated as “feed.”
” . . feed on faithfulness.”
“Feed” implies provision from another source. Like an animal or baby is fed. There is a dependency. And a generosity. A stronger, benevolent caring for a weaker one. And what is being offered?
Faithfulness.
While the reciprocity of faithfulness in a relationship is understood, its raw power is demonstrated when it ceases to be reciprocal. When one of the parties betrays the other, and the betrayed stays true. Faithful.
“For if we are faithless, He remains faithful.” ~2 Timothy 2:13
Giving thanks day by day, more each day, is making me pay very close attention to my day and God’s faithfulness throughout (and I’m not even halfway to thirty).
As I befriend faithfulness, a deep sense of joy, the kind that isn’t vulnerable to circumstances and emotion, is settling into my spirit. And that feels secure.
And as I feed on His faithfulness, I am acutely aware that His goodness isn’t dependent on mine. Even when my faith fails, His remains. And goes on.
And so I keep saying thank you.
For . .
79. His invitation to be filled with His faithfulness
80. our church body
81. the way music draws us closer to Him
82. testimonies shared
83. beauty from ashes
84. victory from defeat
85. the power of story
86. lunch at “Five Guys” with my five guys
87. hiking the Appalachian Trail
88. for Jeff’s birthday
89. this song . . “as the mountains guard the valleys so my heart is watched by you”
90. sons who call home and honor their dad not just on his birthday
91. my man . . 51 and going strong
Last Friday, I encouraged you to take inventory of God’s blessings in your life. If you’d like to share what you found, please comment below. I will be randomly choosing one name from those who comment to receive a copy of Ann Voskamp’s beautiful book, One Thousand Gifts.
Well Kim, this weekend I literally cleaned out a closet! It was full of children’s toys, games and memories. I was thankful for so many things that it has taken me 2 days to figure out how to put it on paper. Thanks for the challenge!
1. Heartfelt thankfulness to the Lord for the blessing of children
2. Laughing at the number of light sabers hiding amongst forgotten toys
3. Games shared around a table full of joy
4. Smiles that have a deeper meaning
5. letting go and holding on
6. being free and being held
7. being a “Yes” parent and proud of it
8. Blessings that are countless but worth counting
Kim, I am happy to call you friend,
Our (Margaret and me) craft closet is always a mess. We actually stopped being "crafty" as finding everything needed to do a project took more time than the project itself. Lord, give me the patience to persevere! And of course He did; thankful #1. Cleaning the closet meant I could send alot of stuff on to bless other sisters that are craftier than me; thankful #2. And still there was so much fabric remaining that I can make quilts for all my kids for Christmas gifts. No additional costs, just my effort; thankful #3 and #4. Not to be left out; thankful #5 of the work my husband did to provide the funds for my excessive craft shopping, and never he complained, #6. The surprise Thanks #7 was the happiness my husband expressed over gifts for our kids…now I just need to get to work sewing….Oh my.
So, I cleaned out a closet, reaping all kinds of gifts and giving, joy and thanksgiving in the process. I never would have thought so much would come from shopping my own space. Thanks! Now to just stay out of Hobby Lobby:))