How many of you have grown weary, impatient, and angry when things have not gone your way. If you said “no” then you’re fibbing! 😉
I know you’ve been there:
- mad the dream house that just hit the market already has a pending offer,
- sad your high school or college sweetheart broke up with you…the same person who you undoubtedly thought would become your fiance ‘any day now,’
- jealous of John Doe who got the promotion over you even though you were sooooo much more qualified.
Take a pause right here to think of all those moments in your life; the ones you initially shed tears and racked up so many cellular minutes venting to your girlfriend, but are thankful for today.
After those moments came to pass, it usually became obvious why the ‘thing’ we were so convinced we wanted, didn’t work out in our favor. Almost always, it was because there was something far superior waiting for us.
It likely wasn’t obvious right away. In fact, maybe the superior ‘thing’ didn’t reveal itself until years later. But, your situation always worked out. Always. Maybe not in the way or timing you thought it would, but you ended up on the path that was right for you.
Let’s look at the Book of Numbers today. Chapter 22, verses 21-35. I could not believe how much I could relate to Balaam! There he was, riding along on his donkey, who at the angel’s insistence, was trying to divert him as a means to save him from the reckless path he was heading down. Balaam, being narrow minded, saw his donkey as the hindrance that he was, although Balaam didn’t understand the reason. Instead of pausing in reflection every time his donkey stopped, Balaam beat him and grew increasingly angry. Three different times the angels tried to save him, and not one of those times did it dawn on Balaam that maybe the delays were to serve a purpose. Maybe there was danger ahead.
Finally, after several attempts, the angel of the Lord revealed Himself to Balaam because he lacked trust. It suddenly became clear to Balaam what was happening, and he felt terrible.
In our own moments of hopelessness, we need to remember Balaam. If the Lord diverts us off our path, we must listen, faithfully heed His instruction, and patiently wait for the lesson to be revealed. It may take weeks, months, or years, but that is okay! Its discovery will be that much more fulfilling.
Did a major purchase fall through, or did you get turned down for the job you were vying for? I guarantee it’s because there is a better one with your name all over it. “Better” may mean better pay, greater schedule flexibility, or a shorter commute.
Relationship didn’t work out like you hoped? It’s likely because there is a healthier connection out there for you. It may or may not involve a new person. It could. Or, maybe the relationship that you had with that person needed to die so that a new, better, more fulfilling one could be reborn.
Regardless, find peace and joy knowing God is perfect. His knowledge, His wisdom, His love. All perfect. We, on the other hand, are not. God knows exactly what our next steps will be and what our future entails – who we’ll be with, what we’ll be doing. We do not. He knows what we’re capable of; He knows whether we’ll soar on our first attempt or whether we need extra encouragement to keep going. We do not. And get this – He also knows if, and when, we need to be knocked to our knees in order to draw closer to Him. But not us!
So while we wait for the next stop in our journey to be revealed, it is so important to ensure our faith and action are working together so our faith can be made complete by what we do (James 2:22, NIV).
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:17, NIV
Make the best of today, friends: full of faith AND good deeds.
