Journeying from Dry to Fertile PlacesTuesday, October 31, 2023

And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

During worship with a church online recently, the pastor shared some jolting news. He told the story of one of his members whose husband died about a month ago. While the woman was attending a faith conference in another state, she received word that both her father and 17-year-old only child had been killed in an automobile accident and that her mother was hospitalized with injuries.

I immediately remembered Job. Blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil. But God gave Satan permission to attack him. This wealthy man had ten children who all died. Job also lost his property, and he was afflicted physically; however, he never blamed God. If we flip to the end of the story, we learn that the Lord blessed Job’s latter days more than his former days. He lived to 140 years and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.

The pastor’s news that Sunday took me to my knees. I thought about my own family, the things we’ve endured for years, and the times I have lived on Pity Street. I confessed, and asked God to forgive me.

Yes, my sadness and sometime depression are valid, but there are so many people who are dealing with situations far greater. I am so grateful for life and all His blessings. Yes, tragedy (ours and that of others) can push us out of our dry places.

PRAYER: Lord, first THANK YOU for always meeting me where I am and for reminding me that I am human and deserving of your grace. Now, FORGIVE me for the times when I have not expressed my gratitude for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me. At the same time, I need you to heal my broken places and mend the pieces of my heart that hurt. Help my situations, however great they are, to move me toward you – to fertile ground from desert places. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen