There’s an interesting verse that puts into perspective why our own understanding can and does often lead us astray: Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (Isaiah 46:10). From our perspective, we see things as linear – even time. Often we do not see how things we did ten years ago (or even the last hour) can have an impact on our future. But our Lord sees the repercussions from every decision we could ever make. He knows the outcome of every one. It is for this reason He calls us to forsake our own understanding and seek His will.

Stepping back and allowing God…

There are times when the Lord will put us on a path that we fully do not understand. He does this as a means of testing our faith – are we going to be faithful and attempt to do what He has set before us or will we quit, terrified of the task he has set before us? Why? The answer is fairly simple – to see if we are willing to take a step back and seek His will when it seems the obstacles are difficult to overcome.

Within my own walk with the Lord, I was reminded of this as I was doing my own personal devotions earlier last week. I came to the story of Abraham and Isaac heading up a mountain to offer a sacrifice to the Lord – but without a sacrificial animal. We all comment on how Abraham’s faith led him up that mountain, allowed him to lay his son upon the altar, and simply did what the Lord had told him to do. Abraham did just that – and so much more. Even though he knew God abhorred the human sacrifices of the other Canaanite tribes, he was willing to do as God had requested him to do.

It causes us to come to the end of ourselves

As a father, I can imagine how Abraham must have questioned what God had asked him to do. His son, the promised hier and beloved son, was to be sacrificed. Abraham had complete confidence God was going to do something miraculous. When asked by Isaac, the Bible tells us, And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together (Genesis 22:8). Abraham had come to the end of himself and realized that the situation he was in demanded he put complete trust in God.

And this is where I find myself now. I’ve had to come to the end of myself. There’s nothing more I can do except to put my complete faith in the Lord. It’s not time to try to come up with a solution to what I face on my own. Having complete faith in the Lord means I must step aside. I cannot micro-manage the Lord and expect Him to conform to my will. Faith in Jesus doesn’t work that way. Our faith increases as we see the Lord work in our lives. And we see Him work when we allow Him to have complete lordship over us.

It brings peace even during a storm

There are so many verses within the gospels where this idea of perfect peace is taught. The first one that came to my mind as I began writing this entry is found in Mark. Jesus is asleep in the bottom of a boat. The storm is battering and tossing the vessel around and the disciples are terrified. They had come to the end of themselves. I can imagine they did as countless sailors have done for ages when facing such a severe storm. They tossed over equipment and supplies to make the boat lighter to help it set higher in the waves. And when they could do no more, they went to Jesus.

The gospel records, And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39). When we are faced with the storms of life we often make Jesus our last resort and not our first choice. But there’s more to this peace that the Lord offers. Even in the Old Testament, we see the promise of such great peace: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalms 23:4). When we place our complete faith in God in every circumstance, we gain that peace.

A personal reflection on the last few months

The last few months have been hard as I have seen the Lord shut doors in my life. I know where He has called me to serve – my heart’s burden has always been for the small and struggling church. It has been hard to sit to the side as I’ve watched the Lord change my path from what I thought was a certainty to a place now where I simply do not understand what I am to do. But I do know the Lord is in control. I also know that the difficulty I face has not deterred or alleviated the burden for small and struggling congregations. In fact, it has increased the burden even more to minister to those small and struggling congregations.

Sometimes the path the Lord wants us to follow is not the one we think is the most obvious. Jesus told his disciples, Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matthew 7:14). Personally, not only is this true of salvation, but it is also true of our service to the Lord. The Lord calls us to the road less traveled and to depend on Him to guide us. And right now, that’s what I’m doing – I’m not looking for the next path to take. I’m going to wait and let the Lord lead me to that path.