“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 16: 5-8
God knows me deeply and personally. He gives me what I need. Those needs are physical, like food, clothing, and shelter, but they go much deeper than that. He meets my needs out the riches of His sovereignty.
What? It's like this--my Heavenly Father is actively engaged in the details of my life. God is in the details, to coin a phrase, so those details take on a whole new meaning. Why do I live by that neighbor? Why are my kids built the way they are? Why do I keep on wrestling with this same old struggle? Because God has assigned my portion and my cup, these details reflect His sovereignty in my life. He's planted me where He wants me to be. He tells me to look for His resurrection power there, move toward that light, grow, and bloom! Struggles that lie within those details are a chance for me to become more like Christ (that's the grow part) and glorify God in the process (that's the bloom part).
Some of the details I have to deal with are the results of my own sin. God allows them to be part of my portion--they teach me how to walk close to Him. Sin brings earthly consequences, not heavenly ones. I'll suffer the consequences of sin and brokenness (both my own and sometimes others') in this life , but I won’t suffer them eternally.
David acknowledges God's sovereignty while praising Him for His counsel and instruction in Psalm 16. It is my goal to make David's wise plan--"I have set the Lord always before me"--my own.
Have you seen the mystery of God's sovereignty play out in your life?
How could one of the more difficult details or struggles in your life help you to grow and bloom?
Think about it--how do you learn most readily? What could God be teaching you?