Connecting the Dots

Psalm 107 NIV
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

Reflection:
Can you remember the first time you felt truly filled by the Holy Spirit? For me, it was the spring semester of my sophomore year in college. I had spent the start of the school year in a deep depression, turning away from Christ and taking advantage of those who loved me. Yet on an average Tuesday night that January, something changed inside me. During a worship service, the band paused their normal set to read aloud Psalm 107. As I heard this scripture, I began to weep as I felt the gravity of the words, “unfailing love.” The weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders, and I was granted the epiphany I needed to move forward.

Although I consider this a life-changing moment, it’s not something I often associate with my everyday actions. It always seems to be a fixed point: a marker on my journey to know Christ, on which I can look back with gratitude and reverence. But this is more than just a specific memory; it’s a living testament to how God worked – and continues to work – within me.

God’s love is not stagnant. It doesn’t pause or take a break until the next “big moment” of our lives. God is constantly moving through us and with us, guiding us to a place of relief even when we’re wandering and suffering. It’s unfailing.

As Christians, we are called to connect the dots. The periods of our lives that feel like deserts are a part of our stories just as much as the glory in God’s deliverance. They build us into the people we were created to be: ever-changing, ever-moving, but always present in Christ’s unfailing love.

Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, what power you hold! Thank you for all you’ve done and all you will do. You are the constant in our lives, molding us in your image and leading us closer to you. May we never forget that you are with us in each and every moment. Help us to use the actions of our past and promise of our present for your glory. Amen.