Confirming the work: Psalm 90, pt. 3

The girls at the beach

Han being contemplative.

I couldn't talk her out of getting in the water. Her little feet were half-frozen!

Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17

There is, of course, much more to this psalm than the few verses I've picked out here. It's rich in not only meaning, but also in beautiful, lyrical words and syntactical structures. But the parts I've concentrated on are the parts that have become particularly meaningful to me over the last few years. And I have prayed few verses more as a missionary than Psalm 90:17.

One of the hardest things I've ever done is to leave my career. Teaching, besides being something I'm called to do, is very, very rewarding. I loved being able to see the results of my efforts, sometimes in an easily quantifiable way--test scores, essay scores, etc. When I walked away from that, I stepped into a world that isn't always so easily quantified. What data can I glean from months of language study, when many days seem like you're making no progress at all? When your husband and children are your main ministry, it's not always so easy to see the results of your efforts. (Ooooooh...company dropped in unexpectedly, and my bathroom was clean! I feel good about myself now!!) So I prayed often for the LORD to confirm the work of my hands. And because He is ridiculously good and faithful, He did in so many ways.

So what does it look like when the God of the Universe confirms the work of your hands? Sometimes it looks like happy, smiling children laughing around the dinner table. Other times it's a comment from a colleague I really respect. And sometimes it's just the still, small voice on a quiet night that whispers, "You are never alone." This past Christmas, it was watching my girls, who are so different from one another, stroll on the beach and laugh together, enjoying one another, creating memories together. There was a moment when I caught a glimpse of their relationship as adults--loving and encouraging one another despite their differences--and I was reminded that, once again, a good and faithful God had confirmed the work of my hands.

Wherever you are in the world, I pray that our mighty God is daily confirming the work of your hands, and that you are having dinner tonight with old friends, too. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye