His Ways Are Purposeful

September 22

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in you;"
Psalm 84:5

The tendency of man is to trust in his strength; but blessed is the man who puts his trust in God's strength because God will take him beyond the limits of his own strength. The man trusting in himself gauges himself and plans out his way, but the man whose trust is in the strength of the Lord is ready for anything.

vs 6:
"As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools."

"The valley of Baca," is translated "the valley of weeping." All believers journey through this valley, but when one's strength is in the Lord, the valley becomes filled with springs of living water. The way of God is supernatural, he goes far beyond the ways of man. He provides streams in the desert.

When a man's trust is in the Lord, he does not walk a predictable way planned out in his shortsightedness. No, he progresses from supernatural strength to supernatural strength, accomplishing the will of the Lord, until finally he joyfully appears before God.

The journey of the wicked is planned out by himself and in the end he'll say, "I did it MY way." They have devised schemes to preserve themselves and to acquire more and more and more, but their position and their wealth never satisfy though they continue to scheme until finally they die.

The believer, on the other hand, walks a totally different path. His purpose is not to acquire, his purpose is to know God and to follow him. God is far more to him than his possessions.

This is the secret of happiness, to belong to the Lord and follow him all the days of one's life. His ways are purposeful and lead to eternal satisfaction. Forever.