Every Day with Jesus: Faith for the JourneyНамуна

Blindsided

‘The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.’ Psalm 119: 33–34 

Growing up I often reacted to my parents’ decisions. I was usually in trouble and enduring my punishment. As I sat in my bedroom, I conjured up feelings of injury and injustice and directed my anger towards my parents. I refused to accept their reasonable reaction to my action. Consumed with my circumstances, I was blindsided by my prejudiced perspective. 

When caring for a loved one with MS, which eventually took her life, I also found myself similarly blindsided. It took time and willpower to accept that ‘God is good and does what is right’. Learning to give God our trust in testing times is one measure of maturing faith. Our physical sight and personal knowledge are only ever partial. When the earth’s shadow is cast across the moon, we see only a crescent. It would be easy to argue that this is the shape of the moon. Yet wait a few days and the moon expands or disappears. 

No one follows a guide they distrust. So God’s way of discipleship can prove hard. God will lead us along unfamiliar paths. If we find ourselves forever treading a well-worn path then we can confidently conclude that our Christian faith has grown static. If we lose confidence in God as our guide, we might refuse to take one single step further along the path he guides us along. 

Accepting God’s perspective, like accepting my parent’s judgment, demands humility. I must recognise that God knows more than I do and then choose to entrust my life, with its questions, suffering and challenges, into his hands. The present is unpalatable, yet only God can show me the path that will lead me further on my life’s journey. My constant question: do I accept that God can neither fail nor forsake me? 

Something to Consider: How confident are you in God’s plan and path for your life? 

An Action to take: Identify someone you trust and agree to talk to them when the road is steep and your confidence in God is tested. 

A Prayer to make: ‘Lord, I choose to bow the knee in humility believing that you can neither fail nor forsake me’.