Living in Canaan

It struck me the other day that Canaan, that place that was God's provision for His people, actually existed. It wasn't allegorical. It wasn't figurative. People were born, lived and died there.

And when I look up in my own Canaan, I see giants. They have names and addresses. God could choose to eliminate all alarming threats from my Canaan. But if He doesn't....then what.

What if God decides to keep me in the Valley of the Shadow. What if those giants camp out next door, sharpening their weaver-beam sized spears within sight of my house? What does that say about my God and His intentions for my life?

Probably lots and lots of things. But what He reassured me about yesterday is that He satisfies. He gives peace. He is so pleasant to meditate on. He is a good and kind Savior. He exposes in this uneasy proximity to giant weapons (gulp, aimed at me) that I need a Savior.

A good friend just lost her mother to cancer and it made me hear this line from 'Come Thou Fount' in a new way: " Come my Lord, no longer tell me. Take my ransomed soul away." It made me realize that there will be times in Canaan or in the Valley of the Shadow that I may be pressed to pray the same. And if God answers with a 'no', then I will discover even more truly that He satisfies, He gives peace. He is that kind of God