Till We Are Home

The other day I shared a cup of coffee with a friend as we caught up on life together. Afterward, I chewed on our conversation a bit more, thinking through all the points of our time together. I wish I encouraged him more by sharing something my wife and I speak between us: live the life set before you.

Everyday, everywhere, people find circumstances in their life generally either in their favor or maybe not so much. Sometimes…well, maybe oftentimes, the circumstances of our days seem mundane and inconsequential. I can feel up as if the life I’m living seems joyful and productive, or I can feel down as if the life I’m living seems hard and against me.

As Christians, what are we to make of this? 

We find in Scripture that God does as He pleases. We find in Scripture that a sovereign and providential God orders our days. We find in Scripture that as He does so, God orders our days according to His perfect will and pleasure. 

If that is the case, then we should live the life set before us. 

Look at Proverbs 3:5-6…that famous passage we all probably memorized awhile ago which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

In this passage we hear a few things. 1. We should trust the Lord with all of our heart, meaning no matter what, put our trust in the Lord sincerely and completely. I don’t understand all that happens to me in my life. I don’t always get why some things happen and why some things do not. Sometimes our life seems to go our way, sometimes our life take turns we never wanted (and the road after that turn feels long and hard). Which tags into the second thing…2. Do not lean on your own understanding. It’s ok not to be able to understand what’s going on…but go back to #1.

Now we get to the phrase I stated before…live the life set before you: #3. In all your ways acknowledge Him. Whatever road you find yourself on these days, keep turning to the Lord. Trust that He set this road before you, meaning it for your good and His glory. That’s easy when the road is fun. But, I know sometimes those roads are filled with terror, sadness, sorrow, grief, boredom, or just plain unpleasantness. Yet, when we go back to #1, knowing who it is we trust in, then we will find #4 to be true: He will make straight our paths.

It does not mean He will turn the road back to a fun and easy road. The roadway may still be difficult. However, that road will be straight to the place He takes all of His children…to the cross. At the cross we find whose image we are becoming. As such, this will mean the death of who we are as rebels, haters of God, and broken and shattered people.

There at the cross, we’ll find the truth of Philippians 1:6 that along the road He made straight, He’s bringing to completion the good work He began in us. That necessarily means fellowship with Jesus who suffered for our sins (Php 3:10). So that road will be tough and hard, and I’m sorry that you are experiencing this.

But live the life set before you.

For He means it for your good, dear brother or sister. 

The road is hard. The night is long. But in the end, we will find rest for our souls (Mt 11:28-30). He will wipe away every tear (Rev 21:4). And our soul’s satisfaction will be complete (Ps 63). 

Live the life set before you. Our God knows what He is doing. Trust Him – you Must Trust – with all of your heart. Turn to Him in faith…ask Him to help your unbelief. Put one foot in front of the other, do not worry about tomorrow. Ask Him to bring you the joy of your salvation, not the joy of your circumstances. Find ways to bless others along the way, help them to see and behold their God. Give Him glory even when your heart is breaking. Live the life set before you…

Till we are home…