Psalm 40:1-2 – I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. (NIV)

I have been working hard to beautify my property. Gardening in the north is difficult because there really isn't what you would call soil. Rocks and something resembling dirt are abundant, but not soil. Thus, I have been planting flowers in pots and barrels filled with purchased potting soil. I am not the only one in my house, however, who seems to be gardening, as Bonnie and Sophie, my two-year-old pups, have been digging a garden of their own: a garden of holes. Everywhere I walk, I am stepping in one of these pits. What they are planning on planting in them I have yet to discover.

Holes in my yard, however, are not the only holes that I have to deal with. Sometimes, I have holes in my life. A friend moves away. A loved one dies. A job comes to an end. I say or do something which I wish I hadn't. All of these occurrences leave holes. These holes can lead to loneliness, discouragement, anger, and the like — pitfalls which I can easily stumble into if I do not patiently look to the One Who is able to fill them up with Himself. And how do I do that?

Psalm 34:1-3,10,17-18 – I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt his name together. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (NIV)

I step out in faith and believe that God is able to fill me up regardless of how many holes this life digs within me. He is able to fill you up as well, no matter how numerous or deep the holes may be in your life. When we truly place our faith in this truth, something wonderful happens. Hope steps in with its shovel and begins to fill up the darkness of our holes with the good soil of encouragement, joy, and the light of His love.

So today, if any of us is residing in one of the many holes that may have been dug in the garden of our lives, or if we inadvertently stumble into a new one, let's remember the truth that the psalmist has revealed to us and come to "glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt his name together", for "those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You are able to fill up each and every hole in our lives with the joy and goodness of Yourself. Strengthen our faith this day that we might glorify Your name as we trust and walk in the light of Your truth. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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