“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them; let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilth thou compass him with a shield.”
-Psalms 5:11, 12
Let’s face it, it isn’t easy to rejoice every day, especially when you may be dealing with a wait to adopt or another round of fertility treatments and tests. But the Bible promises that if we simply put our faith in our Savior, he will bless and protect us. Why then is that such a challenge for Christians some days?
I know that there were days it was easy to look around at others who had what I wanted and feel that somehow I was being punished by God or was simply forgotten by Him. Why do we do this? The Bible is perfectly clear, just trust and he will provide. Looking back, I know that His plan is perfect, but why is it so hard to believe in the midst of the journey?
This is God’s challenge to us. To teach us patience, obedience and trust. To show us that He is our Father who loves us and He wants to provide blessings for us. We need to trust Him, not fuss and fight every step of the way.
Spend some time today meditating on this verse in Psalms and find the place in your heart and your mind where you can truly trust God, and simply rejoice.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on June 13, 2011, and has since been updated.
Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P., is nationally recognized as an expert on open adoption. A Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P.), Caldwell is the founder of Lifetime Adoption Center, established in 1986. She has assisted in over 2,000 successful adoptions and was one of the first adoption professionals on the Internet.
Caldwell's life work is dedicated to educating and helping birth parents find the right adoptive parents for their child. She spreads the word about modern adoption through speaking appearances, webinars, online resources, and as a podcast show host.
She has written several award-winning books, including So I Was Thinking About Adoption, the first book of its kind. There are many reasons women choose adoption, and this short book is a comprehensive resource to make the best plan for you and your baby. Caldwell wrote So I Was Thinking About Adoption as a handy guide to the details of the adoption process.
Caldwell has made over 150 media appearances, including ABC News, CBS News, Larry King Live, CNN Headline News, NBC's The Today Show, CNN's The Campbell Brown Show, NBC News, KGO Newstalk Radio, CNN's Black in America II, MSNBC, Fox, PBS, BBC, and Dr. Laura.
