The Psalm for The Season

In the place where I live, it is currently the hurricane season. This means reminders in the grocery store, the tv commercials, and the news encouraging us to make preparations and be ready. After residing here for 17 years, I have learned to keep batteries, drinking water, extra canned goods and let my freezer stock diminish to avoid a significant loss should we face a storm-induced power failure. Outside of this list being checked, I don’t entertain the hurricane mindset too much because I have had to digest; there is no control over the weather despite how accurate the weather forecasting is. All I can do is prepare and respond with wisdom. It’s the season. I am thankful to say that despite my diligent preparation, I have had to use the supplies I have gathered very few times. Because this has happened, if I am not careful, I can get slack and take the preparation less seriously than I should.

After taking the summer months off from posting the 5 o’clock worker blog and praying consistently about the direction I would take, I settled into the writing season content with a project entitled “The Velcro Christian.” This is a series near and dear to my heart, and God has used it to challenge me to examine how much influence other people, the culture, and the world as a whole has had on me compared to God’s perspective conveyed through biblical truth. Everything about the series came together except the peace about the timing. I had this experience before with a project. One of the first series I was inspired to write was “The Chosen Life” series. I was so excited to write it, and when I finished it, I was ready to share. Then God impressed me it was not the season for it. Just like in hurricane season, I felt prepared and wondered why I had done all that work zealously, only to discover it wasn’t what God wanted me to do at that particular time.

Today, I venture into another project that has come to me in quiet moments, in the middle of the night, while I am about other tasks. Even when I have been studying other material, this project has called to me. It is a reflection and devotion about my favorite Psalm. It is Psalm 91 that is my life Psalm. If you have read any of my material, I have referred to this Psalm as the 9-1-1 Psalm. Perhaps it is because of the season I and others find ourselves in that this would be the place I would settle in this season of writing. Waves of pandemic pounding, unstable world affairs threaten, and the voice of crisis of almost every kind bellows at us daily. Yet, there is a place of relationship with Christ that can provide peace and a mindset that we can face the storms of life in their season if we would just draw near to God and place our trust entirely in Him.

The idea for the 5 o’clock Worker itself came out of the concept that “God’s Word is the Way Through”. God has given us His word to inspire, encourage, transform and ground us through all that we will face in this life. He has given us a preparation list of sorts to help us weather the challenges. It’s not a matter of if the storm will come; it is a matter of when. God does not want me to live in fear, but He does desire for my heart and mind to be as prepared as I can be. The 91st Psalm can aid us in a refreshing of the care God provides for those who seek HIm. It can be the Psalm of the Season.

Join me next time where the 5 o’clock worker takes a look at Psalm 91, Part 1, “Where do I live?”