#9. I Don't Need a Map, Just a Lamp.

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Before cell phones were so common, I hated caravanning to places with people who would say, “Oh, just follow me there!”  Inevitably, the car in front of me would make it through the light, and I wouldn’t.  Then, either I’d have to floor it to try to catch up to them, or they’d have to pull over and wait for me to come through.

Now it’s so easy just to call someone from your group if you get separated.  Or, you can just use your GPS and find the place on your own.  Finding an unknown destination doesn’t have to be such a mystery anymore.  Call me old school, though, but I still keep a road atlas in my car (thank you, Grandpa), and if I’m going on a long trip, I’ll print a map from the Internet.  Yes, I’m an INTJ.  But the bottom line is that I simply don’t trust step-by-step directions.  I want the big picture, the complete picture, before I even start.

Too bad God doesn’t work that way.  I’m realizing more and more every day how much I need to lean on Him for guidance, and I’m also learning that He is 100% trustworthy!  He has never left me hanging, never allowed me to get lost.  Sure, I might not be able to see where I’m headed sometimes, but He always knows, and He always gives me directions for my next turn in time.  (Unlike the GPS.)

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

God does provide guidance, but it’s usually just a little bit at a time.  He knows how much information we need, and that’s exactly how much He gives us—no more, no less.

I’ve been trying to obey Him as I seek His guidance for the future, and I have a little glimpse of what could be ahead, but there’s still a lot of darkness.  My lamp just isn’t bright enough to see as far as I want to.  But God Himself is all the light that I need.   

"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'"  -John 8:12

Even though I take little steps of progress at a time, I am moving forward.  And it’s encouraging to be able to look back and see where I was.

I’ve done my best to follow God’s direction for my life, and there have been times that He has closed doors, and I didn’t understand why.  It made me feel like I had done something wrong; that I had missed some crucial information from Him which resulted in my heartbreak.  But (I think) I am learning that isn’t always the case.  Those closed doors and heartaches are a part of the journey as well.  I can see now that I’ve learned lessons from those situations that I probably would not have learned any other way.  And I am grateful that God loves me enough to keep me from going down a path that He knows isn’t the best one for me, even if it looks pretty good from my perspective.

I don’t know what lies ahead, but I can say with certainty that God has continued to open doors and to confirm the steps that I’ve already taken, so I can trust that He will either continue to do that, or He’ll redirect me in His timing to something even better.

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Amazing Grace, John Newton

#8. Challenge Accepted!

 "We have a God who delights in impossibilities."

-Andrew Murray

I am so used to looking for the easiest way possible to do something.  I can get frustrated or even annoyed when I see people working inefficiently.  It seems to be human nature always to look for the easy way out of a situation.  Our intelligence is what separates us from the “lower species,” right?  We have assembly lines and instant/automatic everything.  So it seems natural to look for the easy way out of the difficulties in our lives, too.  But God works differently. 

In Joshua 3, God leads Israel through the flooded Jordan River and into Canaan.  The natural, human path would have been to go around.  What was accomplished by going through?

First, Israel was forced to rely on God’s provision for them, rather than trusting in their own strength.  They must have told their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren the story of this miraculous display of God’s power for generations to come.

Second, Israel’s enemies heard this story, too.  Those in Jericho had already heard of how the God of Israel parted the Red Sea more than 40 years earlier.  Now, in their very own land, they saw Him do a miracle again.

God does not see as man sees.  Where I see difficulty or even impossibility, He sees opportunity.  I picture it going a little something like this:

 

Me:  "Nope.  No way.  Uh uh.  There's no way I could ever do that."

 

God:  "Challenge accepted!"  :)

 

God definitely isn’t interested in choosing the “easy route” for us. Instead, He chooses the path that will give Him the most glory!

 

It’s scary for me to walk on when I can see and hear the flood waters rushing ahead.  But God came through for Israel, and He’ll come through for me, too.  One, because He loves me, and He promises to work all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28); and two, because His ultimate goal is to bring glory to Himself (Isaiah 48:11).

A few weeks ago, I finished my first 5k, and I was so proud of myself. 

 

 

Of course, thousands—or probably even millions—of people have done 5k’s, and in MUCH faster times than me!

No one is really that impressed when you do something that anyone could do.  But everyone takes notice when God does something that only He can do—whether it’s a miraculous healing, forgiveness for someone who doesn’t deserve it, or grace and peace when He chooses not to heal.  Whatever the circumstance, we can trust that He is accomplishing something far greater than anything we can see or understand.

God used a shepherd boy to slay a nine-foot giant (1 Samuel 17).  He conquered an army with 300 men who lapped water like dogs (Judges 7).  He redeemed the world through His own Son, born to an unwed mother.  And He used a group of nobodies to spread the good news of His salvation around the world.  Honestly, there are a lot of days when I don’t know what God sees in me or why He would want to use someone who is so timid, insecure, and stubborn.  But I am learning that, ironically, the more fragile and frail I am, the more qualified for Kingdom service I am!  
 

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”  So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 

-2 Corinthians 12:9

Praise God that His power works best in weakness.  Bring it on!  :)