“Destruction and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.” God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord; that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” Job 28:22-28
A few weeks ago, I read a devotion by Rev. Charles Swindoll regarding God’s will and how we often view it through our world wise eyes. Too often our idea of the will of God is that He leads as we would lead and plans as we would plan. That would be wrong and wrong. God’s will is not like that at all. Then Rev. Swindoll shared four simple principles we need to keep in mind regarding God's leading.
First: God's preferred method is surprise. Most Lutheran’s aren’t thrilled by surprises. On April 10th, I wasn’t excited when to my surprise I learned my right leg had been amputated five inches above the knee. A few years ago, Trinity HOPE was surprised to learn of how many gangs were disrupting life in Port-au-Prince. God will take a surprise and make something out of it
Second: God’s surprises require faith, flexibility and adaptability. When you get in a situation that you didn't expect, you have to adapt; you are forced to adjust. Have faith; God hasn't made a mistake. You haven't made a mistake. You're just going through the process of internal development that is all part of God's arrangement of events, painful though that may be. I’m in a standard wheelchair living in an Assisted Living facility, eating with people two decades older than me; I’ve adjusted. Haitian gangs have control of most of PAP and are spreading into the North Central part of Haiti. God is still in control.
Third: Behind God's surprises are purposes we are not aware of. We may think we know but we don’t. We need to remind ourselves that this is no mistake. This is no accident. God has deliberately planned for what is taking place. Instead of planning a pity party, have faith and pray. Rather than becoming embittered, angered, and disillusioned, rather than calling the whole thing “a mistake,” ask, “What can I learn from this?” This is a season of waiting. When my butt got tired of waiting, I got a new seat cushion for my wheelchair and began reading the Psalms.
Fourth: When God surprises us, He supplies sufficient grace to handle the unexpected. As we lean on Him, He supplies what we need to endure whatever His will encompasses for us. God's surprises can be very scary and unsettling at times. They can push you to the absolute limit. But His surprises draw you closer to Him as you grow deeper in His Word. You're learning to view life from a vertical perspective. By doing so, you can release your world wise vision and start to see this world as His child.
The sovereign God of surprises still reigns supreme and how very grateful I am for that. And it could be that the biggest surprise of my life, or your life, or these Haitian school kids may be just a few months ahead. Wait for it. Or perhaps you're right in the midst of one of those surprises today. It's possible that God's surprise is intended to help you to see for the first time in your whole life, your great need for Him.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay