Direction

 

As a Christian, we acknowledge Christ as our Savior; and it is for Him we want to live and love.

We often think we need to have everything right in order for Him to accept us. And we think that when we mess up, He’s shaking His head, or turning His back on us in disappointment. If we only truly understood what His love entails. He loves us, regardless of our sins, despite our failures, maybe even because of our imperfections, period. You see, He knows we’re not perfect. He knew that before we were born, and yet He made us. (Psalm 139:16, Jeremiah 1:5) He knows we will fail (Romans 3:10); but it’s because we try that keeps Him with us. He knows our sins are great; but it is His love that is greater. And it is because of that love that He continues down our path with us. The path He designed for us, each valley and peak; each clear paved and rocky road... The path He chooses for us, to go with Him, yet He goes before us, and He is always beside us, holding our right hand (Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalm 139:10, Isaiah 41:13). And sometimes He carries us (Deuteronomy 1:31, Isaiah 46:4) because we just can’t seem to take another step (whether out of exhaustion, fear, illness, doubt…)—He’s there; always.

And if we knew that, truly understood that partnership, then we wouldn’t ever doubt His way; His will for us. We wouldn’t question Him when He tells us to go left instead of right. We wouldn’t question when He tells us to walk instead of swim. We wouldn’t question when He tells us to let go instead of holding on tight. He knows what His plan is for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Why do we insist on thinking we know better? Or, that He should share any part of it with us? It’s a trust that we must learn to accept. As a child trusts his parents to provide and care for him, we must trust our Father to provide and care for us. The only difference is our Father is perfect (Psalm 18:30) (and let’s face, while all parents strive for perfection, none ever succeed), so we can trust that He’s never going to steer us wrong.

So again, why can’t we trust Him? Why do we think that to do what His will is for us, we need to know what it is first? Obviously, we need some instructions; we can’t fly by the seat of our pants the whole time (though, sometimes, that flying is pure trusting). God does tell us His plan; in increments. He whispers a direction in the wind. He shows us confirmation in a song, or a verse, or through a friend. He leaves us hints to follow—only we’re too oblivious to notice them most of the time. He drops bread crumbs, but we’re too busy looking around. He writes it in the sky, yet we never look up. He puts it on paper, but we never open the Book. He places it in our hearts, but we won’t tear down the wall.

He speaks so clearly to us at times, but we can’t hear over the noise of the world. We ask Him for direction, but don’t stop long enough to wait for Him to answer. We’re so busy expecting Him to be at our beckon call that we’re not at His. And it is His call. It is His Will be done, not our own. (Matthew 6:10, Matthew 26:39)

Maybe the next time we call out to Him for guidance, we should stop and wait for His direction. Because He has a direction for us (Psalms 32:8); He never leaves us lost. He never leaves us alone. He is with us, always. (Deuteronomy 31:6) And He loves us unconditionally. (Romans 5:8)