Debb Hackett

Diligent by Lori Altebaumer

I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search (Psalm 77:6 NKJV).

Who among us never spent an afternoon fastidiously sorting through a patch of thick, green, sweet-scented clover in search of the elusive four-leaf clover? To be honest, some of us have been known to invest lengthy amounts of time on this quest even as adults. 

But the search only lasts for so long. We either find a four-leafed clover, or more likely, give up and move on to something else. Finding shapes in the clouds, perhaps.

My daughter-in-law recently made a focused and intensive search through the grass, not for a four-leaf clover but for something even more important—her wedding ring. This pursuit was different from scavenging through the ground cover for a plant with a rare leaf formation. This was a search she wouldn’t give up on because she had faith she would find what she searched for. She might not have seen which blade of grass it landed behind, but she knew without a doubt it was there to be found. 

When we apply the word diligent to our actions, it implies a steady, painstaking effort—a commitment to persevere until we achieve our objective.  

My daughter-in-law was diligent in her search, and the ring was recovered. 

Not knowing the answers, not having a complete understanding (by my standards of course), often leaves me frustrated, uncertain, and fearful or discouraged. 

Answers in Scripture…

But this verse in Psalm 77, like so many other Scriptures, comforts me. The answers are there to be found and understood in God’s perfect time.

I can’t make sense of the world right now. Lying awake at night, my heart is drawn to meditate on the sorrow and suffering running rampant all around. Searching for answers is like hunting for that four-leafed clover—more often than not a futile effort. 

But when I set my spirit to diligently searching God’s Word, there I find peace in the midst of chaos. When my heart mediates on His love, truth, and goodness, instead of the brokenness of this world, there I find comfort.

Psalm 77 continues in verses 10-11, “But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember your wonders of old.

Let us grow weary or discouraged, but let us be diligent in our search for God’s wonders of old. There we will find peace and comfort.

About Lori…

Lori Altebaumer only half-jokingly tells others she lives with one foot in a parallel universe. With her boots on the ground, head in the clouds, and heart in His hands, she is a wandering soul with a home-keeping heart in search of life’s best adventures. Lori loves sharing the joys of living a Christ-centered life with others through her writing.