Trusting in the Meantime

From Serena Johnson:

While I love to travel, I’ve never really been one to enjoy the process. I always look for the most direct flight/bus/train possible, with the fewest stops, layovers, and distractions because after all, the real fun only starts once you arrive at your destination, right? Why take a scenic 2 day train ride when you can fly there in a couple of hours? Isn’t the point just to get there as quickly and with as little fuss as possible?

The Lord has been showing me that is not the case in our Christian journey. We aren’t born just to immediately die and go to heaven. God is the ultimate travel agent. He has an elaborately planned itinerary for each one of us, designed to bring Himself the most glory while blessing our lives. He commands us to live life dependent on Him day by day, and admonishes us to “take no thought for the morrow” reminds us that “sufficient to the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34) and instead pray for “daily bread“ (Matthew 6:11) , that is just enough provision to get through today—tomorrow will take care of itself.

This is incredibly difficult for us as humans to do. We want to know our destination, what’s happening next, and any slight disruption in our own conception of what the future will look like seems to cause incredible distress. The children of Israel are a prime example.

“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” Exodus 32:1

The Lord had just done so many miracles in sending the ten plagues to bring them out of Egypt. God parted the Red Sea, drowned pharaoh and his army, and brought forth water from a rock in a desert place. He was literally providing them with daily manna from heaven. They were experiencing freedom, peace, and safety. All they had to do was wait and continue to live as they had been, following the precepts of God that He had revealed to them thus far.  They weren’t in any particular distress. There were no enemies to be concerned with. No imminent attack that threatened their lives.

Yet, they became impatient. They simply got tired of waiting, and then did something rash: they created an idol. How many times do we fall into the same trap? We’re waiting to hear from God, and things are going well. There’s nothing particularly pressing going on that needs immediate attention. God is providing daily for our needs. We simply don’t understand what He’s doing, and think He’s taking too long. In our impatience, we do something rash, and take matters into our own hands. The consequences can be severe, worse than we ever imagined.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Hebrews 11:8.

What a challenge to me! Abraham didn’t know exactly where God was leading Him. He didn’t have a final destination in mind. He had no idea what it would be like, yet he trusted God. How many of us would be able to trust God enough to take a journey and not know the final destination?

But isn’t that what our daily Christian walk is? We don’t know what the day will bring, but we trust that God will lead and guide us along the way.

Are you in a season of waiting? Do you wish God would just hurry up and tell you an answer one way or the other so you could get on with your life? I ask you to consider that God wants you to submit the “meantime” to Him as well.

If we have a definite answer, a “yes” or a “no” a “go” or a “stay” we understand how to proceed. If God says “yes” then we have a plan and procedure. If He says “no” we’re disappointed, but still feel pretty confident that we know how to proceed. But what about those times when we’re waiting to hear from Him? Those 40 days and 40 nights when Moses was in the mount? Those times when it seems that God is silent and we can’t hear Him and can’t see Him? Do we trust that He’s working on our situation?

Are we willing to wait, to allow Him to guide us day by day, step by step, being content with not knowing what’s ahead or trying to navigate the way ourselves?  God wants our total and complete dependence to be on HIM. Every day. Every hour. Each day, we need to ask the Lord what to do and how to proceed. We are not our own. Much like Abraham, God sometimes tells us to do things and we don’t know how it’s going to end up. But we can have faith and confidence that “the Lord shall guide thee continually” (Isaiah 58:11). Although the future is unknown to us, we can have confidence in the One who is omniscient and is walking the path beside us. We don’t need to fear the future.

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)

- Serena Johnson