I CAN HARDLY remember how it actually came about… It was early. I sat up in bed in one of my more intense encouragement modes. My husband lay there in one of his feeling unworthy, depressive modes. I passionately told him God does not take care of us because we are so wonderful or so good or because we do everything right. He is good to us and cares for us because He upholds His own reputation. He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, not for ours! He didn’t care for the children of Israel or stay committed to them because they were better than anyone else. No! God stuck it out with them because He promised He would. God has to keep His promises. He cannot lie. He cannot deny Himself or negate His own character!

Whoosh! The Holy Spirit suddenly pointed this pipeline of truth at me! My passion over someone else’s discouragement stirred my heart to see the truth for my own limitations, failures, and inadequacies. If what I said was true, I needed to completely let go of things to which I so desperately clung, to free-fall into the sure provision of my Savior. Psalm 37:5 tells us to commit our way to the LORD, trust Him, and He will do this: “He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” I needed to commit my circumstances to Him and trust Him with them instead of focusing on our human limitations.

In the days and years that followed my enthusiastic impetus to my husband, God remained faithful as our Provider. The Shepherd led us in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. He took care of us and provided for us because that is who He is. He remains true to His own character of love, grace, and benevolence. His faithfulness never depended on our goodness, rightness, brightness, or ability. We were covered!

We can still rejoice today because He will be faithful to Himself regardless of our growing limitations, inadequacies, and failures. He brought us into His kingdom through faith in His precious blood sacrifice, therefore our future does not depend on what we do or don’t do, but upon the very immutable, unchangeable character of God!

“Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but Thou are mighty; guide me with Thy powerful hand” (William Williams 1745).

Three Fine Fools

Three men gathered to query one time,
A wiseman, a nobleman, and a mighty man fine.

“What is my worth?” asked the wiseman that day,
“I’ve studied and learned all I can, all I may.”
“My worth is great!” beamed the nobleman’s son,
“I’ve inherited wealth and I’ve gained quite a sum.”
“I’m worth a lot!” whooped the captain of might,
“I’ve led thousands to battle and not lost a fight!”

They continued to moot and debate quite awhile,
Comparing themselves until speech became guile.

Then along came a fool out across that same way,
Shuffling and ragged he bid them, “Good day.”
With tongue thick and slow he repeated their talk,
“What is me wirt’, man? Me wirt’ a lot?

The men laughed with scorn at the fool of despite,
“Old fool, you’re not ‘wirt’ much, you’re not even bright!”

His crestfallen face bore the sting of their jeers
As he lowered dimmed eyes now filling with tears.
But then the fool grinned and he lifted his head,
“God ‘ad mercy on me an’ He loves me,” he said.

The men’s laughter faded and the fool went his way,
But the worth of those men was lost on that day.

For God chose the weak and the foolish to show
That true worth is something only He can bestow;
It is not in performance that we discover our worth,
But that God became man and walked on this earth.
He took on the filth of our self-righteousness,
Became the Ragman—gave us holiness.

In paths of righteousness He now leads us on,
Not for our glory but for the name of His Son.

© 1996—MarJean S. Peters