Isaiah 43:19 “Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”
I love the outdoors. I hike as often as I can, which is normally a couple times a week. So, I love the visual of Isaiah. “I’m about to do something new” …. “Even now it is coming” …. “Do you see it?” … “Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness” …. It seems colossal, grand, breathtaking. It is like hearing the rush of a great waterfall just up the trail. The winding path and the canopy of the trees hiding it from view, but the ever increasing crescendo of the falling water unmistakable. My steps quicken with anticipation. I can’t wait to get a glimpse of one of God’s creations. That is how I should feel about the fulfillment of God’s plan for me. Breathless anticipation.
Second only to the fear of what God may ask me to do, is the fear of where He might ask me to go. Ezekiel 1:12 says “And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.” This is a direct imperative to move forward without questioning. To go…straight… without turning. That’s intimidating. And it brings about a couple concerns.
What if I don’t like the destination
The Lord says in Psalm 32:8 “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” There is this element of trust that we must overcome if we are to ever have a fulfilling life through Christ. God doesn’t say He will guide us along a path, but along the best path. And furthermore, once we start down that path, He will watch over us. This all begins with trusting that He is telling us the truth.
A weird story about destinations. I would guess for most of my adult Christian life people fretted about God sending them to Africa. This was kind of the epitome of going where you didn’t want to go. It was as if Africa was the place that God sends hard core, give your life to Christ, missionaries. Surrender everything, live in a grass hut and dine with the natives, kind of evangelism. Not for the weak at heart, or spirit. None of my upper middle-class folks wanted to go there. Fast forward to this year.
It was not my plan to go to Africa. Even when I agreed to start working with IMED (International Micro-Enterprise Development) I really didn’t think about the destination. But guess what…. This year alone I have gone to Africa three times and I already have a plane ticket for a fourth. But it was never about the destination. It was always about using my God given talents to serve His kingdom. I just ended up in Africa.
I would suggest that we should spend more time on what He wants and let the where take care of itself. If we have passion for the what, we won’t care about the where.
Worse, what if I’m not sure of the destination
In Psalms 73 David says “You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny”. Yes, a glorious destiny. Not some off-the-beaten-track swamp land destination, but a glorious one. As the saying goes “if you don’t know where you are going, any path will take you there.”
Once I come to grips with the idea that what God wants for me is better than anything I could want for myself, I am left with finding out what He really wants of me. That can be hard. I gravitate to what I want for me because I understand that. We live in a land of opportunity. Virtually every day I hear of a new opportunity to serve God in a special way. The needs are overwhelming. Add to that the sheer joy experienced by the people serving and everything seems attractive. Everything seems critical and needed. How do I figure out which is best for me?
Again, I have to say there is no single answer to figuring that out. There were several years between when I first heard of IMED and when I actually looked into it. Roswell Day of Hope (RDH) was much the opposite. We were looking for some activity to put our effort behind and RDH just came together. It was a struggle, but pieces kept falling in place. It seemed predestine to happen. The prison ministry was a road I would not have traveled except to help a friend.
I keep going back to this because I think it is critical to understand “Each current season using the last season to build toward the next season.”. God does not waste time or effort. Everything we experience, if we are willing, God will use to move us closer to His ultimate purpose for us here on earth. The destination you see in front of you might just be the next mile maker on your journey to our ultimate destination.
For my money I would concentrate on the what and not the where. If I am in the sweet spot of my passion, where I serve doesn’t matter that much.
Psalm 48:14
“For That Is What God Is Like. He Is Our God Forever And Ever, And He Will Guide Us Until We Die.”