August 30, 2023 8:00 pm
Perhaps I shouldn’t have agreed to join Brian on a run. I was in a foreign country, and I had no idea where or how far we would go or what the terrain would be like. Plus, he was a fast runner. Would I twist an ankle trying to keep up with him? What could I do but trust Brian because he knew the way. As we started, I got even more worried. The trail was rough, winding through a thick forest on uneven ground. Thankfully, Brian kept turning around to check on me and warn me of rough patches ahead.
Perhaps this was how some of the people in Bible times felt while entering unfamiliar territory—Abraham in Canaan, the Israelites in the wilderness, and Jesus’ disciples on their mission to share the good news. They had no clue what the journey would be like, except that it would surely be tough. But they had Someone leading them who knew the way ahead. They had to trust that God would give them strength to cope and that He would take care of them. They could follow Him, because He knew exactly what lay ahead.
This assurance comforted David when he was on the run. Despite great uncertainty, he said to God: “when my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way” (Psalm 142:3). There will be times in life when we fear what lies ahead. But we know this: our God, who walks with us, knows the way.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled Unknown Route was written by Leslie Coe. Perhaps I shouldn't have agreed to join Brian on a run. I was in a foreign country and I had no idea where or how far we would go or what the terrain would be like.
Plus, he was a fast runner. Would I twist an ankle trying to keep up with him? What could I do but trust Brian because he knew the way? As we started, I got even more worried. The trail was rough, winding through a thick forest on uneven ground.
Thankfully, Brian kept turning around to check on me and warn me of rough patches ahead. Perhaps, this was how some of the people in Bible times felt while entering unfamiliar territory. Abraham and Canaan, the Israelites in the wilderness, and Jesus's disciples on their mission to share the good news. They had no clue what the journey would be like, except that it would surely be tough. But they had someone leading them who knew the way ahead. They had to trust that God would give them strength to cope and that he would take care of them.
They could follow him because he knew exactly what lay ahead. This assurance comforted David when he was on the run. Despite great uncertainty, he said to God in Psalm 142, when my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. There will be times in life when we fear what lies ahead.
But we know this. Our God, who walks with us, knows the way. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is Psalm 142. I cry aloud to the Lord. I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint. Before him, I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. In the path where I walk, people have hidden a snare for me.
Look and see. There is no one at my right hand. No one is concerned for me. I have no refuge.
No one cares for my life. I cry to you, Lord. I say you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.
Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need. Rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. Let's pray. Father, even though we don't know what may happen next, you do. Help us to trust that you will take care of us and guide us and be with us every step of the way. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-08-30 21:11:30 / 2023-08-30 21:13:05 / 2
