Due To Circumstances Beyond Our Control

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” — Psalm 28:7

Many of you as you read this devotional today are staring into the face of the unknown. You are facing circumstances in your life you probably never thought you would have to face. Today is uncertain. Tomorrow even more uncertain. It’s that initial feeling of intimidation you get on the first day of a calculus class when the teacher starts talking about all the requirements for the year. It’s the feeling when your boss approaches you with an unfamiliar task that is outside your skill and you have no idea how to do it or where to even get started.

We all have had some form of fear, dread, and anxiety, sometimes all rolled into one. Then Hurricane Michael comes ashore making everything worse. Circumstances like the ones facing the people of Northwest Florida are a barometer of our faith. True faith isn’t just believing something you have no reason to believe in. True faith isn’t trusting that what you want God to do is going to happen. True faith is not a feeling you get. True faith is ultimately a choice. It’s a decision to trust God’s truth, even when it’s really hard to do. It is hard to sit back and remember that God’s plan involves every possible eventuality and we need to trust that plan. We just have to have faith and maybe some quality roofing, drywall and landscaping contractors.

People have faced circumstances and had a choice to make for centuries. In Biblical times, no one received the full blueprint of God’s plan. Since no one had the full script there was always some mystery involved. That is why in those situations when you don’t see the plan, you need to stay close to God and look to see where He was already at work in your life.

Some people believe that having a relationship with God will never lead to anything difficult or painful. But that’s not true. The biblical heroes who walked with God certainly did not have an easy path. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death. Or consider the apostle Paul and the tremendous suffering he endured, walking in close step with the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel across the Mediterranean. Chained. Whipped. Beaten. Imprisoned. Shipwrecked. And beaten some more.

God has a perfect plan for my life, and yours. God knows the end from the beginning, and He is sovereign over all creation (Isaiah 46:10). He creates, provides for and directs every one of our paths. But He has not left us to find the path on our own, if only we follow the clues and avoid the traps. The only way to walk God’s path is to walk it with Him in faith even when the circumstances we are facing are beyond our control.

Discussion Questions:

If God has a perfect plan for your life, what can we do to help?
What can you do this week to increase your faith?