Beginnings

On June 14, 2006, I began reading the book of Psalms. I was seeking comfort and peace after a turbulent tragedy in my life. I had just experienced the death of my husband on June 10. Only 60 years old, our family’s great spiritual leader left this world to begin his new life with Christ. I sought the words of King David to soothe my soul.

In the first chapter of Psalms, I read how a man is blessed when he walks with God.

His delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (NKJV Psalm 1:2-3)

So simply put and envisioned, this psalm talks of a tree that is situated next to a river that sustains its life, helps it bloom, and gives fruit when it should. This is God’s perfect plan working the way it was meant to be.

I needed to be near to God at that time in my life, possibly closer than ever before. There was no way I could make it through the grief, the preparations for my new life, or even the day-to-day without His help! “Oh, God,” I prayed, “I can’t do this alone and I do feel alone. Please give me peace and guide me to seek help from the right people who have my best interests in mind.”

I needed to be like that tree that drew in life-giving water from the giver of life! I needed to stay close to that river and not do things before their time but in God’s time. I needed to not question Him but follow where He would lead me.

Like the last part of verse three, I didn’t want to wither up or crawl into a ball of self-pity. That would only make me unfruitful for His Kingdom work that I knew needed to be done. The grieving would be ongoing and lessen as time passed, but the witness I needed to be to my family and others would be lasting.

I believe the very last phrase kept me going: “and whatever he does shall prosper.” That didn’t mean monetary things to me. That meant prospering in my Christian work for a loving God. I wanted to prosper as a believer! I wanted to conquer the Mount Everest of problems, paperwork, and stuff of grief that lay before me. God could and would help me; I could trust His words from this very first chapter of Psalms.

I read the entire book of Psalms over the following weeks. I underlined other verses and made notes in my Bible when I felt God talking to me. It was all very helpful as I began my new walk without my husband. But no chapter was as helpful as the first one. Maybe that’s because beginnings were something I expected at that point and I was certain God knew of each one.