“He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.” – Psalm 102:17 (NIV)

I sat on the porch swing watching the sun break silver through the mist as rhododendrons dripped from the pre-dawn shower. A squirrel chirped, whippoorwill cooed. The early morning breeze worked its way up the mountain carrying the smell of a camp fire and the far away sound of air brakes hissing as a truck began its descent. A new day, another chance to shake the nagging fear that our financial situation was about to get worse.

I stood to stretch, pace and worry.

“Sit,” I heard God say.

“But I need to get going. I have that?”

“You need to be still, now sit.”

I sat.

Inside the cabin I heard a bed spring pop. Our guests began to stir. “Our guests.” As if anything about the weekend was mine. The cabin belonged to a friend. Our guests, couples we’d known for years, the ones who’d been with us at baptisms, weddings and funerals, those friends had provided for both the dinner the evening before and the breakfast to come. Even the tank of gas for the ride to the cabin had been a gift. All I’d done was show up and pout.

“Okay, I’m sitting, God. What do you want to discuss? How I misread your will? How I pursued the desires of my heart, foolishly believing this deep yearning to write for you was your desire, too? You wanna talk about how I should be working harder to find steady work? You pick. I’m tired of playing Wheel of MisFortune with you.”

“What do you have that I haven’t provided? Look around you, Eddie. Listen and see. Are you so afraid of tomorrow that you can’t even see the provision of today when it calls to you from the trees, hills and this home in the woods you don’t even own?”

“But I?”

“No but. This weekend is my gift to you. My “welcome to work” present. The evidence of my goodness. Now please, just sit and read with me. Enjoy the smell of bacon frying and the taste of freshly brewed coffee.”

He will not despise their plea. He will respond to the prayer of the destitute. The verse lay in my lap, mocking me. Plead, yes. Destitute? O God, don’t lead me there.

The closer our walk with God, the less we need. When we surrender, when we lift our hands and fall to our knees we find we already have more than enough. I’d thought my job as a husband and father was to work for my daily bread but in Gods kingdom, I can never earn my keep because the food, shelter, and friends have already been provided.

All He asks is that we share in His joy and fellowship. What worry weighs you down? Give it to God. He will not despise your plea for help.

– From ChristianDevotions.us