by Pastor Douglas Brauner

When enough IS enough.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”
Psalm 4:7 English Standard Version

Though the Vindicator Valley Trail just east of Victor, Colorado is only a two-mile loop, with an elevation gain of 341 feet, it is a grueling hike because of its elevation (10,000 feet). The trail takes a hiker back into the days when miners extracted gold from hundreds of feet below the surface.

It would have been difficult to survive, especially in the winter. A couple of abandoned homes stand at the top of the trail. Though the summers might have been pleasant, the winters would have been harsh.

To fight against the cold, the builder of this house laid canvass between the siding and the walls to protect the residents from the elements.

It matters what’s underneath the surface.

The psalmist addresses discouraged people who wonder about where their next meal will come from. Their hope is in the abundance of grain and wine, on those things that will make their lives comfortable without any concern for the future. If they had “enough” stuff, everything would be fine.

But when is enough, enough?

The psalmist professes that under the surface, deep in his heart where others cannot gaze, is the gift of joy. He pronounces that his joy is the gift of God placed in his heart and this joy is greater than the abundance of their grain and wine. It lasts through life’s winters and summers. It is the insulation that protects him from becoming despondent. .

As children of God, as those who have been baptized into Christ, we have joy that is rooted in what he has done for us. He is our source of joy, not the circumstances of life. It is his joy that sees us through times of pain as well as joy.

You see, it matters greatly what is on the inside. What is on the inside is the joy which Jesus gives.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado