Spacious places

 

It’s good to pick up the word of God and read! There is always wisdom or some little nugget of truth to cling to. When I’m fully engaged and not distracted by the grocery list rolling around in my mind or what’s on the agenda once I check daily bible reading off the top; the Father always catches my attention.

Recently, when reading Psalm 118, He directed me to this little nugget.

Vs. 5 – When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.

Two phrases stuck out to me: hard pressed and spacious place. I resonate with both. I can’t even express how many times this past year I have felt hard pressed, in a tight space, backed up against a wall. Many times, my racing thoughts made me feel almost claustrophobic … trapped …confined. Whether I was able to see it in the moment or not, God always provided a spacious place. Sometimes he provided subtly, other times notably and many times abundantly.

When I think of something being spacious, I think of it being big, abundant and roomy. He always provides in abundance. His timing is never mine. His will won’t always line up with my way of thinking (thank goodness). But he always provides a spacious place to run to when I am hard pressed.

I began my day hard pressed. Another battle waged and rattled my cage first thing. But my spacious place came when I was, at last, able to plunge my hands into the deep rich soil of my garden and tuck in the plants that had been so patiently waiting.

Father God introduced me to Mother Earth, on this day, and led us into a spacious and sacred place. I will return to it over and over this summer, patiently watching for seed to sprout. Weeding, pruning and eagerly awaiting the harvest.

And I will also return to the spacious place of his word where patience grows, faith blooms and hope emerges into a harvest of abundant blessing that he has waiting for me.

Both places are holy ground, reminding me that great things come to those who patiently wait and do the necessary work it takes to grow according to his great plan. The waiting is hard but with each little sprout that emerges from the soil there is hope of what is to come. This is true in the garden and in life.

Where are you hard pressed? Cry out to God – he will bring you into a spacious place where you can stretch out, walk with head held high and hands raised to give him the glory for the harvest of blessing that is to come!