The Great Dust Bowl

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes! Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! (Psalm 119:25-32 ESV). I’ve returned to Psalm 119 today. Remember that this psalm was written as an acrostic (arranged by letters of the Hebrew alphabet). This was often done as a mnemonic device. We do the same today as a way to help remember and memorize important things. It jogs the brain to remembering if the person speaking Hebrew knew which letter of the alphabet comes next and that the first word of the passage begins with that letter. So, today we come to Daleth, and the first word in Hebrew is dabaqah which means clings to. Literally the first line of this is “My soul clings to the dust. Revive me according to your Word.”

The Dust Bowl was a "decade-long disaster" and a series of droughts that was one of the worst natural disasters in American history. Dust Storms and “Black Blizzards” began in 1932 that ripped up the topsoil sweeping thousands of tons of dirt across America. 100 million acres of farming land was destroyed. The Dust Bowl saw plagues of centipedes, spiders, crickets, and grasshoppers. Many people suffered from numerous health problems, notably dust pneumonia. While recovery was long in coming and slow, it did come. Various relief programs and agencies were initiated in what was called the “New Deal.” It may seem that you are going through your own “dust bowl” spiritually. Sometimes the more we try to rise above our circumstances, the more struggles seem to come our way. The Psalmist has a remedy for that: “Strengthen me according to your Word.” God’s desire is to call us to a place of shelter and safety. It is a place to regain your energy and find a solid footing again. It is a place of protection. It is inevitable that storms will come into our lives. They can be frightening and rob us of our joy and peace in life if we let them. Thankfully our heavenly Father is waiting to calm the storms of life, or in the midst of them, His Word and His nearness will calm us. In our struggle to fix our lives we often forget about our greatest resource. Find yourself going to the Lord first. It makes the other steps much easier.