Psalm 138:8

"The LORD will work out his plans for my life—
for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever.
      Don't abandon me, for you made me."

 

Do you ever feel as if God has abandoned you? David seems to have felt that way here. Yet despite his feelings, he asserts his confidence that because God made him in the first place, God has plans for his life that he will work out in accordance with his faithful love. Especially in times of stress or doubt, these truths can sustain us and turn our doubts away.

Jeremiah 17:7–8

"But blessed are those who trust in the LORD
        and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
      They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
        with roots that reach deep into the water.
      Such trees are not bothered by the heat
        or worried by long months of drought.
      Their leaves stay green,
        and they never stop producing fruit."

 

Do you ever find yourself saying something like "I'm doing fine, under the circumstances"? These verses paint a picture of life despite circumstances. Heat and drought do not bother the tree that has roots that reach deep into the water. You become like such a tree by complete trust in God, by looking to God alone for your hope and confidence. When something happens that could disturb you, you sink your roots a little deeper into the character of God. You lean on the truth of his rock-solid trustworthiness. And you find yourself unshakable, fruitful.

Luke 19:26

"'Yes,' the king replied, 'and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.'"

 

Interestingly, another rendering of "do nothing" is "have nothing." It seems this servant thought that what he had been given was not enough to manage. You may think you "have nothing," but this parable suggests that everyone is given something. To dismiss "little" as "nothing" means losing—forever—what little you have. God does not hold us accountable for what we don't possess. He always uses what we do have … and that's always enough.