How awesome is the LORD Most High… He chose our inheritance for us. Psalm 47:2 & 4

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In Carl Sandburg’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography, Abe Lincoln Grows Up, he tells the story of a young Abe Lincoln growing up in a humble cabin in Pigeon Creek, Indiana (pictured above). Although Abe’s father was originally a prosperous and wealthy landowner, through a series of financial reversals, the family found themselves starting over in rural south Indiana. By the time Abe was nine years old his mother had died and the family was struggling to scrape out an existence. At times, the only thing the family had to eat for supper was potatoes. One evening as his father, Thomas dutifully gave thanks for “all their blessings.” The young boy muttered, “These are mighty poor blessings!”

I think all of us can relate to Abe’s sentiment on some level. Who of us hasn’t looked at our own circumstances, limitations or position and questioned God? Like a card player who’s been dealt a lousy hand, we look at our cards and say, “What am I supposed to do with THAT!?”

I bet there were many ancient Israelites who felt the same way. At the original distribution of the promised land, parcels were assigned to tribes, clans and families by lot (Joshua 14:2). Even though this was God’s appointed means, it must have felt pretty random and at times, disappointing. And these land inheritances were to be held in the family in perpetuity. Imagine stepping on to your assigned inheritance for the first time.

“Hm… looks a little stony to me; kind of steep. Not too bad… I guess we’ll put the house over here…”

“Daddy, Daddy, did you see cousin Jacob’s inheritance? The soil is thick and rich and there’s a stream running right through it!”

It’s easy for us to look at the lives of others and then question. “Why have things been so hard for me? Couldn’t you have made me a little more prosperous, like cousin Jacob? Maybe a bit smarter and more outgoing? And while you’re are at it, could you put a little more hair on my head?” Our list of recommendations to our Creator is long and sometimes tinged with a sense of injustice.

This scripture reminds us that God is the one who chose, selected and designed our inheritance. DNA? His choice. Body type? Him. Intellectual capabilities? Him. Emotional makeup? Him. Family history? Ditto…

We cannot reshuffle the hand we’ve been dealt, but there are an infinite number of ways we can play our hand. And THAT is where our faith makes the difference. To believe that my circumstances and life journey can bring glory to God in a way that is no one else’s can. My story is a unique and irreplaceable part of HIS story.

I have met people who have experienced incredible loss or have heartbreaking disabilities who in spite of the disadvantage are thankful for their inheritance. They are too busy playing their hand to question the cards.

I have to believe that Abraham Lincoln came to that place too. In fact, most historians observe that the failures and struggles of his past uniquely equipped him to shepherd our country through some of its most perilous times. Without the struggles and limitations of his youth, he would not have had the reserve of character and perseverance necessary to fulfill his destiny.

What about you?

May we join the Psalmist in exclaiming, How awesome is the LORD Most High; He chose our inheritance for us!