Daily Delight
As a kid, I always believed I would outdo most of the OT characters. I was totally convinced that I would always listen to God and that I would remember all the things He said to me. I was determined that I would not find myself lost in the wilderness for 40 years.
I mean, the Israelites had God like a GPS – a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. So how on earth did they get lost? Did they lose their signal? Did they not see the cloud? The fire? The entire journey, God was providing the Israelites with fresh food, but they were focused on “not enough” and “are we there yet?”
Reality check! Sometimes, I get so focused on a problem that my struggle gets the best of me, and I start grumbling and complaining about what God isn’t doing, which leads me to lose sight of what He is actually doing. Sometimes I find myself lost in the wilderness.
Here’s what I know: God never leaves us. Just like He was with the Israelites right to the entrance of the Promised Land, He’s with you through the struggle to the entrance of your promised land. Even their grumbling didn’t cause Him to leave. But they lost sight of Him and focused on the struggle and found comfort in their complaining. They were so fixated on being lost that they lost sight of God's active work in their lives, resulting in a miserable and long journey.
The truth is, when we take our focus off of God and look at our journey like it’s a constant struggle, we miss out on what God is actually doing right here, right now in each and everyone one of our lives.
God wants us to know that He is with us, and He’s not leaving. He gives direction. He provides for every need. If we just look at Him, He’s showing us the way. And we get to encounter just how good of a Father He truly is through it all.
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” -Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)
About the Author
Theresa Fenton
Theresa loves spending her time fixing up and decorating homes, cooking, meeting new friends, influencing the world around her with hope and faith and ultimately – to love God and love people a whole bunch!