I was taking my
husband to the airport the other day when all of a sudden, the freeway came to
a dead stop. Traffic on a California freeway? Shock of shocks. For the next
several miles, it was stop and go. Good thing we ended up leaving earlier than
we had originally planned. We finally arrived at the heart of the problem: Construction.
Good ol’ construction.
As we passed the
construction site the freeway opened up and our speed returned to normal. My
husband commented, “It sure would be nice if there was something that would
tell you instantly what was happening a few miles ahead. Then you could
prepare.” I thought about what he said and thought to myself, “Yeah it would be
nice, too, if life was like that. To know what’s coming so we could be ready.”
But God doesn’t let
us know in advance what’s around the corner. He doesn’t give us a heads up on
the unexpected detour in our life or the unexpected joyful surprise that’s
waiting for us. On the surface, that may seem unfair. But as you dig deeper,
you begin to understand that God keeps us in the dark, so to speak, for our
benefit. Think about it. If you knew in advance the blessings God was about to
bring you, where would your focus be? Would it be on the here and now? No, most
likely your mind and heart would be distracted on the upcoming blessing. If you
knew in advance the difficult valley you were about to walk through, where
would your focus be? Would it be on the here and now? No, most likely your mind
and heart would be filled with distress on the impending struggle. Does God
want our focus on what lies ahead? No. God wants our focus on Him and on what
we have in the present, trusting Him for whatever the day brings us.
Proverbs
27:1 Tells us: Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may
bring forth.
If we are rooted in
God, we have all we need for what awaits us whether good or bad. It’s called
Grace. God’s grace is an incredible gift. It is the source of our blessings and
it is strength for our difficulties. 2 Corinthians12:9 says: And He said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness.” I like the Amplified Bible’s
version of this passage, it opens up the richness of this promise: He said to
me, “My grace is sufficient for you, my loving kindness and my mercy are more
than enough – always available – regardless of the situation: for my power
is being perfected and is completed and shows itself most effectively in your weakness.”
So although we may
think it would be nice to know what’s ahead, in reality, we would be robbing
ourselves of experiencing yet another facet of God’s amazing grace.
Dina Pugh
