There is only One Sustainer

The other morning I started my day like I do most days.  Woke up, made my coffee, and settled into my chair to read my Bible and write in my journal.  I’m slowly working my way through the Psalms right now, paying close attention to the verses that speak specifically about God:  His character and His behavior.

That morning I read Psalm 3:5 “I lay down and slept; I woke again for the Lord sustained me.”

I jotted down in the margin of my Bible, “You are God who sustains.”

And that was the focus of my prayer that morning.  Praising God for His sustaining power in my life.  Confessing that I don’t always depend on Him as I should; I often find myself looking for other ways to find strength or to ‘keep me going’.  And I pleaded with Him to help me remember that HE is my Sustainer.

It wasn’t long after that when my 2 year old dumped an entire bowl of cereal onto the kitchen floor.  And then shortly after that spilled my second mug of coffee onto the carpet and the school books.  The kids whined most of the day, the laundry was overflowing.

These are the challenging realities of my daily life that need to be overcome with Truth.

Because it’s in those moments of frustration, when things don’t go smoothly or I get interrupted, that the temptation is strong to simply long for temporal sustainment.

A second cup of coffee to give me energy.  A few moments of quiet during naptime to recharge.  Date night so that we can strengthen our marriage.  All good things, but when I am looking to these for my sustainment, I’ll be disappointed when they don’t happen or when they don’t go the way I expected.

If I truly believe that God is the only One who sustains me, then while I’m on my knees picking up Cheerios I will be preaching to my heart instead of grumbling.  While I mop up the coffee from the new carpet I will be asking God for help rather than yelling at the curious two year old who made the mess.

Today, as we go through the tasks God has given, whatever frustrations may arise, any discouragements we encounter, let’s remember that God is sustaining us.  Let us depend on Him, gain our strength from Him alone, and hope only in the Lord.