July 22 | Psalm 128:1-6

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DAILY READING

Psalm 128:1-6

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REFLECTION

Hubs of Blessing

By Pam Mann

Recently I chatted with an elderly woman and her sons. This family of believers has farmed for generations in Indiana and Ohio. Being a suburbanite, I was intrigued as the men talked of weather challenges and corn yield concerns. I complain of deer and rabbits that pillage my flower beds and vegetable patches. But my livelihood does not depend on what I can grow. It does for this family! Still, the family matriarch smiled at me and said, “Every year we talk like this, fretting about too much rain or not enough rain, extreme heat or too much cold. And, every year, I say again, God always provides.”

When I read Psalm 128, I think of this woman. She is the epitome of Psalm 128. She is the happy, blessed individual described in verses 1-2 who trusts God no matter what the weather brings. Sure, her family works hard, plans carefully, and invests in good equipment and sound practices. Yet, still, there are many factors that wreck a harvest. This woman has determined that she will not fret. She has settled on fearing the Lord as her mindset.

Such individuals who trust in God do not stand alone. They contribute to communities that can then become hubs of trust and blessing. A family in a home is the most obvious example of such a community, but there are others. Your small group that meets for prayer and bible study can be such a circle of blessing and trust. Temporary groups, like a mission team or a bible class, can function as hubs of trust and blessing. As described in verses 3-4, when individuals join a support community, they ramp up their fruitfulness. And, as the psalmist writes, that’s not all.

Then, those small group hubs of trust and blessing meld into a broader mesh of prosperity, which the psalmist describes in verse 5-6 with the example of Israel, his country. Of course, this does not mean that trusting in God guarantees a happy, prosperous life. But fearing God more than the weather, for example, like the elderly farmer does, gives us the blessing of putting our worries in God’s mighty hands.

PRAYER

Thank you, Father, that we are not mere individuals. We are individuals whom You have blessed with trust in You. And you have placed us in families and groups that cultivate fruitfulness and blessing. Give us deeper trust in You that we might be greater blessings in our homes and communities.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAM MANN

I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.