Converging Blessings (Friday Devotional)

“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.”

- Psalm 85:8-11

One of the best parts of going to the zoo is watching when the animals are fed. Even the laziest of creatures (I’m looking at you, lions) start to stir when they see the uniformed zookeeper enter the habitat, bucket in hand. And whether the food is being delivered to fish, birds, bears, or rhinoceroses, the effect is the same when the food comes out—from every corner of the habitat, the animals ravenously head toward the center, converging upon their latest feast.

Psalm 85 says that when God delivers His people from trial, they can expect a similar convergence, albeit a spiritual one. Steadfast love and righteousness, which had seemed so far away when you were struggling, suddenly meet. Faithfulness springs up from the ground like a vine and righteousness descends from the sky like rain. Most vividly, righteousness and peace are said to come so close that they kiss each other. From all directions, God bombards you with blessings.

That is worth remembering when it feels like the only the only things converging upon you are curses. Difficulties, from the mundane to the serious, have the tendency to attack you at once and from all sides, to converge upon you like vultures to a carcass. When that happens, it can leave you feeling battered, worn, and alone, like God can’t spare a moment for you—or worse, that He just doesn’t care enough to do so.

But trials aren’t the only things that can converge upon you—salvation can as well. When you place your faith in God and trust His understanding instead of your own, you will find hope where there once was only despair, peace where there once was only chaos. The Holy Spirit can flood your life with the same all-encompassing fervor of your stresses if you will only be willing to trust God and call upon His name. So even when it feels all the cares of the world are converging upon you like animals to a feast, have faith: deliverance—from above and below, from east to west—may not be far behind.