Life's Curveballs

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at you right hand.

Psalm 16:11

My grandson plays high school baseball. He can throw a wicked pitch called a curveball. It’s especially hard for batters to hit because it dives downward as it nears the plate.

Outside of baseball when we mention a curveball, we mean an occurrence that’s unexpected and particularly difficult. As you and I know, life throws curveballs our way. A friend of mine experienced that recently.

When her husband developed a serious illness, his doctor sent him to a hospital out of town for specialized treatment. My friend spent three weeks with him there. She was far from friends and family, lonely, and tired. It was awful.

She told me about reading her Bible as she sat by her husband’s bed. As he lingered between life and death, God spoke to her through a verse in Psalms. It said, You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at you right hand (Psalm 16:11).   

My friend understood that meant God would be with her no matter what the future held. He would guide her and give her joy. She held on to that promise when her husband died. It has sustained her ever since.

The Bible is filled with God’s promises to his people. Scholars have found at least 3500 of these assurances in Scripture. What impresses me most is this truth: God didn’t have to make any promises to us, yet he did.

We find comfort in each promise - especially when life throws us a curveball.

Father, we are amazed by the extent of your gracious love.

Carol