It’s a good reminder that we NEED to depend on God, we don’t have the answers all the time because he has chosen not to give them all to us. If we knew, we wouldn’t need to trust and depend on Him. I know that idea has been so key in my life, in my humaness wanting a measure of control and confidence as I step forward. But faith is what is asked of us, reliance on a God who is Sovereign.

I have to stop myself at times when I realise I have been trying to control every outcome in my life and remind myself that God has a will, He has a way and He has a purpose for me. I don’t need to worry or be anxious about making the hard choices on my own because He promises that He will never leave me or forsake me.

I am moved by the line “And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. ” from Thomas Merton’s prayer. What a promise – God will lead us where He desires for us to go. Thanks Dan for sharing this – it is a great reminder.

This is the reality of the Christian life at it’s best. If God revealed all of the plans for us at once then it would probably be too much for us to handle.

Psalm 23 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil”, is one of my earliest memorised scriptures and one of my favorites.

What a great reminder that God is in control and that we need to stay alert, praying for the next sign of direction and be ready to take up our cross and follow him wherever he may lead.

Simon

i usually venture between seasons of deep confidence in where God’s calling me into seasons of forgetfulness and doubt, wondering if there ever was a calling to begin with. who am i? what the heck am i living for? it’s so good to be reminded that all of us feel seasons of loneliness and silence, but that is not indicative that we’re alone.

there was a prayer rolling around at church we would often say: “God, the best we know how, we seek you…” that was a helpful prayer for me. it demonstrated our finite capacity to understand and even live, while also acknowledging that God really is the source of life and he is faithful to draw near to us and lead us.

thanks for the reminder!!

I want to learn to listen to God, really listen, and to wait. I think our anxiety and impatience lead us to move before we know where we are supposed to go, which just mires us down further in confusion. The busy-ness and hyperactivity of our culture pushes us to act when we have no idea why we are doing what we are doing or if it is the right thing. Our fear of being dependent keeps us from acknowledging our true state of cluelessness and need for God. And the desire to be in control often makes us act just for the sake of acting even when we have no idea of what to do.

One of the things that Western Christianity could learn from Eastern mysticism is that not knowing is an acceptable state. It is not the goal, being empty is not the goal, but admitting that we don’t know and that we are empty is the first step to being filled and to hearing from God so that we do know. If we try to pretend that this is not our state, we end up assuming a posture we cannot maintain and we forego the very thing we are hoping for, being able to hear the voice of God, who helps the helpless and takes notice of the humble.