5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight (or will Direct your paths). Proverbs 3
I heard an interesting quote recently along these lines, ‘God never gives us a straight line where He’s taking us’. I think that’s important for several reasons. The Bible says we walk BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT (2 Corinthians 5:7) but our flesh struggles at every turn to wrestle control from the leading of the Spirit. The scripture from Proverbs tells us to submit to God and not follow the leading of our own understanding.
Joseph is a prime example of a life crafted by the Spirit of God and where he had no say in what was happening to him. Thrown into a pit by his own brothers, sold into slavery and then falsely accused and imprisoned. How much worse could things get for Joseph, yet God’s perfect plan was unfolding step by step for him. He had no option but to walk it out and eventually God used him to save his father Jacob and deliver the whole family.
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6
Derek Prince said that some of the most important events in his life had been completely unplanned and unexpected by him. He said that, ‘he emigrated to the United States by accident’. He, his first wife Lydia and adopted African daughter had been living in Canada for a time and he’d been offered a position in a church in America. The border guards told him that the stay he was requesting was too long for a visit and so they actually helped him to fill in the forms on the spot and emigrate. He said in retrospect it proved to be one of the most important decisions of his life. God had orchestrated the whole thing and the very clever Cambridge University Fellow didn’t know a thing about it.
‘God never gives us a straight line where He’s taking us’.
Speaking from my own experience, after my first wife was taken to heaven, I decided to visit my sister in South Africa. During my last week there, she gave me a couple of books to read about a lady called Joan Hunter from Texas, who has a miracle ministry and saw many wonderful healings. When I returned home I decided to see if she ever visited Ireland and discovered that she was soon to visit. I called the lady who was hosting her on the trip and Anne eventually became my wife! God is Good, but He doesn’t lead us in straight lines to where He’s taking us. I had to go all the way to South Africa to make the connection with the lady who would become my future wife.
The scripture from Proverbs 3 makes an important point, we can’t trust our own understanding and at the same time, be led by the Spirit.
Dallas Willard said that, ‘the biggest threat to God’s Kingdom in our lives is our own kingdom’.
It’s far better to be humble and uncertain before God, than to be self assured and controlling our own destiny. This world is full of self assured people who are not aligned with God’s will for their lives.
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6
May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.