When the Shelves are Bare

"God keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won't soon be forgotten. In hard times, they'll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they'll be full." - Psalm 37:18-19 MSG

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The Holy Spirit gave me this divine promise in this translation during the midst of the Coronavirus crisis in 2020. My husband, Joe, and I live in Eastern Pennsylvania, and at the time, we were finding a lot of empty shelves in our grocery stores. The Spirit of God warned me not to lose my peace, or to panic, because of some of the things that I was seeing and hearing. In the midst of the pandemic, the Message Bible translation really hit home for me - "In hard times, they'll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they'll be full."

The verses above from Psalm 37 are ones that I have memorized and stood on for decades in various translations. Why? Because my husband, Joe, and I have seen some pretty "lean" times over the years, especially with all of the health problems he has experienced, including a massive heart attack one year, and open-heart surgery several years later. These promises have been an encouragement to me when I have been tempted to despair. And I have seen the Lord demonstrate His faithfulness to them time and time again.

The NIV translation says: "The blameless spend their days under the Lord's care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty." (Psalm 37:18-19 NIV) These precious promises are not for unbelievers; they are reserved for God's own devoted ones, who lay hold of them by faith. The NLT version reads: "They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough." (Psalm 37:19 NLT) Because you and I are "under the Lord's care" in times of hardship and heartache, we "will not wither" or "be disgraced" in "times of disaster," and we will "have more than enough" ("plenty"!) from day to day.

The best part is that we can pray and stand on these promises from a place of rest - a rest that comes from an intimate and eternal relationship with the living God. Do you believe that His Word is true, and that He is true to His Word? If so, then you can "hold your head high when the shelves are bare" because your provision is on the way!

Prayer: Lord, please remind me often that most of Your promises are not automatic, but I have to believe them and receive them by faith. Help me to develop a working knowledge of Your Word by spending quality time in it on a regular, consistent basis. Teach me how to truly depend on You and Your provision in times of heartache and hardship. Thank You that I am continually under Your care, and I will hold my head high no matter what comes my way!

- J. M. Farro

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