October Update
Many mornings when I wake up, I like to grab my devotional and go sit on our back porch to read. I always place my devotional on top of the filing cabinet next to my desk. My desk sits in the basement common area, which is down the hall from our bedroom. Why does this matter? Because when I grab my devotional and head to the porch (upstairs), it is usually pitch dark. I can’t see and I don’t typically turn on a light. I know the routine, I know the placement of the furniture, and I know that I always place the devotional in the same place.
What happens when I don’t know the path before me? What happens if it is dark, and someone has moved the furniture or placed the devotional in an unknown location? It would definitely upset my routine.
We often pray for God to show us the clear path of His will. We want to know where we
are going, even if we can’t see it clearly. Being unsettled with obstacles gives us reason to question if we’re doing the right thing. But, God never promised a life without obstacles. In fact, we are told to consider it pure joy to face obstacles because it tests your faith and produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3) We are to live by faith, [even tested faith,] not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
We became missionaries and moved to Arizona with a clear path ahead of us. We knew what God called us to do (minister to youth) and how we were going to do it (visits with campers between camps.) Now, after holding one camp in January, all of our other camps for 2020 have been canceled due to restrictions in the campers’ communities. God still wants us to minister to youth, but the canceled camps have been like the furniture being rearranged and now we’re having trouble finding what we’re looking for. Thankfully, God has opened doors to allow us to do His work virtually. Looking forward, we need to live by faith that He will lead us in a direction we weren’t expecting. (Proverbs 16:9 …humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.)
It is important we surrender our lives to God and seek to do His will. God may have a big surprise right around the corner. Don’t always expect a clear path before you. Just keep walking forward and have faith that the Almighty will guide where He wants you to go.
