“Then they believed
his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did
not wait for his plan to unfold.” Psalm 106: 12—13
Sometimes the best lessons in the Bible come indirectly—not
from studying the laws and the commands, but from discovering the mistakes of
others. I can look at the ancient Israelites and think, “What a shame they didn’t
just wait for God’s plan in their lives. They made things so much harder on
themselves.” Then this warm yet strangely uncomfortable feeling slowly works
its way from my head to my toes. My heart begins pounding and I feel like a
schoolgirl about to be reprimanded by her teacher. The Spirit whispers to my
soul, “You are exactly like them.”
I do believe God’s promises and I do sing His praise. But I
also want God to tell me what will happen next. I want to know when, how, and
most importantly—WHY. When will He heal me? How long, O Lord, must I wait on
You? And how is it going to happen? Will it be with a raw-food diet or some
alternative treatment, the use of chemotherapy, or bone marrow transplants? Or,
as many Christians ironically are loath to consider, will it be through the
passage of death that leads to a most amazing eternity with Him and a most
perfect spiritual body, where sickness and weeping will be no more? I, for one, would love to know! But even if
given the answers to how and when, I still would not be satisfied. I would want
to know why He appointed this for me.
What is the purpose? What is He hoping to accomplish?
God, in His infinite wisdom, does not usually give us
detailed descriptions of how He is planning to carry out His perfect plan for
our lives. Instead, He asks us to trust that He knows what He is doing. He
created us, He loves us, and He promises to protect and provide for us every
moment of every day. He will give us all the information that we need when we
need it, not a moment too soon nor a moment too late. He will give us all the
grace we need to endure our trials when we need it, not a moment too soon nor a
moment too late. His timing is always perfect. His plan is always for our good.
The future is God’s job, not ours. All He asks is that we trust Him, rest in
Him, allow Him to comfort us, believe in His promises, and wait for Him. It
sounds so easy, but even those simple tasks are impossible for me without His
grace.
Father, forgive me
when I take matters into my own hands without consulting You first. Forgive me
for looking for other ways to calm my anxious heart instead of turning to You.
I beg You to increase my faith, and help me to trust You. Help me and my
precious brothers and sisters in Christ to live like we believe Your promises.
Let our lives be a source of hope and peace to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
