I am in the process of memorizing Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. It is full of so many wonderful and encouraging verses – one of my most recent being verse 75:
“I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.”
So often I need this reminder: His judgments are righteous. You would think this would be obvious and I wouldn’t need the constant reminder, but the truth of the matter is that I do. And I couldn’t help but think I am probably not the only one!
What exactly does this mean?
His judgments are righteous is just another way of saying that His plans are perfect or that all things work together for good. It is a fresh reminder to me that He’s got the details, and He isn’t caught off guard by things I didn’t foresee. He truly knows all and has known all since before the foundations of the world!
About the only thing I am certain of is that, outside of God, nothing is certain. I know He has incredible plans for me, but I don’t know exactly what they are. But the truth of the matter is, it is not my job to know. All I need to do is show up and pursue where He leads.
This doesn’t mean I never make plans or have an idea of what I’m going to do, but rather I know that the final say of how things go is up to Him. And His judgments are righteous. So if all my plans fall through and I end up doing something completely unexpected and unplanned – as long as I’m looking to Him and giving Him my best, it’s all good. He knows so much better than I what needs doing and He is incredible at directing us if we will remain flexible and available.
Ordering products
One area I really see this is when I order products. It used to be that if I missed a sale on an item that I wanted or if it sold out, it would really disappoint me. But one day I had the lovely thought that perhaps this was God’s way of weeding through my orders, knowing better than I what I actually needed. I love this fresh perspective and it truly takes the frustration out of things when I discover them sold out or no longer available!
I do my best to remember this at work too. And I confess, since the pandemic, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to practice it. I’d love to inspire you and say I always have a saint-like attitude and don’t let unavailable items or delayed delivery get to me, but that would be such a lie.
Last week was especially frustrating as I was placing yet another order trying to get baby clothing in. They had canceled all the baby girl clothes and not mentioned it. So when the order came with only boy clothes it wasn’t the best of surprises. I put together a new order and submitted it only to find out a week later that EVERY item was unavailable. Unbelievable. How is that even possible?!
I was definitely frustrated at this point! These are not quick or simple orders to put together, but rather require time and consideration so that they don’t arrive looking haphazard and slapped together. After I cleared my head a bit, I put together another order and learned what *should* be in stock this time.
Even through all this, I need to remember that God’s judgments are righteous.
Perhaps He was saving me from a product that wouldn’t sell well or that wasn’t right for our customers. I shouldn’t need the details to remember that He has the big picture and isn’t surprised by the canceled orders and unavailable items.
Whenever I catch myself mulling over an unknown or fretting about a situation, I’m developing the habit of relinquishing the details of it to God. His judgments are righteous. However He decides it is perfect. He literally has all the details and is the best planner ever.
And I just want to encourage you to do the same. Remembering this verse, this promise, brings such a peaceful calm. Worrying is a natural tendency – but if we can remember to give our worries to Him, He will take care of the details! And rest assured, this isn’t a one time fix, this is a as-long-as-you-live thing. Needing God and His strength isn’t a bad thing – it is actually a wonderful thing! After all, that is how He created us!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. If you aren’t already making Scripture a part of your life, let me encourage you to do so. Pick a passage and memorize it. Read a chapter from Proverbs each day that corresponds with the day of the month. It will change your life!
https://www.theamericanlady.com/2017/07/12/remembering-source-strength/