The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)
One of the hardest things in life to do is to let God be in control. I’m no different than you. I think that if I just do this or just do that then I can make things turn out OK. Sometimes my way works but sometimes it doesn’t. It is during those times that I have to have faith that God knows what is best. I just need to be still and let God be God.
God says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all the nations. I will be praised throughout the earth.” The Lord of heaven’s armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our protection. Psalm 46:10-11 (ICB)
Maybe this is the way it is for you when you pray for your dad or your mom. Maybe you think, “If I could just be nicer,” or “If I could just be more obedient,” then things will turn out OK. But God is in control and He will be the one who decides the outcome. Your job is to be faithful in praying. Even when it seems like Your prayers are going nowhere, God hears them. He will be faithful to answer, in His time and in His way.
You see, here on earth, all we see are pieces of the puzzle. We have no clue how all of these pieces will fit together. We can only see the circumstances and the obstacles. But God in Heaven sees and knows. He is the One who knows the way around those obstacles or over those mountains. God can see the clear path and He will direct it as He sees fit.
There is a common Christian precept that says “Let go and let God.” This takes a lot of faith and a lot of trust. But as you read in the Bible, you find so many ways in which God worked, often behind the scenes, for the good of His people. God can be trusted to do what is right. You can rely on Him to find the best way even though it may not be the shortest or the easiest. Look at the example of the Hebrews in the desert. Once they finally left Egypt, the Lord led them on a different path.
When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Exodus 13:17-18 (NLT)
Do you see what God was doing? He didn’t lead them on the shortest path because He knew there might be obstacles on that path that they weren’t ready to deal with yet. And He didn’t lead them on the easiest path but through the wilderness to develop their faith. And where did this path take them? Directly to the Red Sea where God showed them His awesome power, parting the sea so they could cross on dry land. They had to let go of their way of doing things, they had to step out in faith and trust and let God be in control. And when they did, the Mighty One acted!
Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!” Exodus 14:21-22 (NLT)
God bless
A Stander in Nebraska
