Over the next couple of weeks while Jason is on leave, Sarah and I will be sharing from the Psalms. The Book of Psalms is filled with human cries of praise and of anguish to a holy God who doesn’t always fit human expectations. It also paints pictures of who God really is and his ultimate faithfulness to us.

This last week, I was especially struck by Psalm 65. It begins with praise to God for his forgiveness and his mighty acts – Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all (v 3)… You are the hope of everyone on earth (v 5)… From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy (v8).

But the second half is full of pictures of water and earth – You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile (v 9)… the river of God has plenty of water, it provides a bountiful harvest (v 9)… you drench the ploughed ground with rain, melting the clods  and levelling the ridges… you soften the earth with showers (v 10)… even the hard pathways overflow with abundance (v11). For me, this is a powerful reminder of the grace of God, bringing life, softening hardness, preparing for growth. It encouraged me to hope for this as I pray for people I love, our church and the wider world. God is at work. May you be encouraged in your prayers as well.

Love to you all, Miranda.

Photo by Rio Hodges on Unsplash