Monday, November 19, 2007

One Foot in Front of the Other

Sometimes God reveals a piece of the puzzle to us, the next step on the map. But rarely--if ever--does He reveal the whole scheme of what He's up to in our lives, at least not all at once.

I don't know about you, but that frustrates me. I like to know in advance where I'm going and and how I'm getting there and how long I'll be gone and what I'll be doing once I get there and what to pack.

I wouldn't say that I'm a control freak, but neither do I relish the thought of giving up complete control. I'm astounded at the people in the Bible who, when called upon by God to do something amazing and scary and totally life-changing, didn't bat an eye. People like Noah and Abraham and Daniel and Mary. Then again, I'm thankful that the Bible also has plenty of stories of people who seemed to wrestle more between the desire to obey God and the fear of actually taking action and how it would change their lives--for good and bad. People like Moses and Gideon and Peter.

But even those who unhesitatingly took a leap of faith and followed God did not suddenly have a huge revelation of what God would do with their lives. In reading the great "faith chapter" of Hebrews 11 lately, I was struck by these particular verses about Abraham:

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. (Hebrews 11:8-9a, emphasis mine)

Even when Abraham had arrived at the land God had led him to, he still had to live by faith. He was still dependent on God. I pray often for wisdom and guidance and direction. But even when I get the wisdom I seek and when I get to the next step in my life, life will still be shrouded in mystery. I'll still be dependent on God's guidance through His Spirit. Wisdom does not always provide answers--at least not the answers we are necessarily seeking. Perhaps wisdom is not about getting answers so much as gaining a deeper realization of our need to depend on God.

3 comments:

Rhonda K said...

Great post, Lisa!

I seem to be doing some wrestling right now! This is exactly what I needed to read at this very moment! Thanks!

Confessing Lunatic said...
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Confessing Lunatic said...

“Perhaps wisdom is not about getting answers so much as gaining a deeper realization of our need to depend on God.” It seems as if you have a magnifying glass into my soul. Thank you for your insight into God’s Word and for sharing the wisdom He has given you. I can see that I have yet to fully rely on God to provide His healing. You said it best…it’s in His time and I realize now that He can’t begin until I do depend on Him. God’s blessings on you!