“If thou but trust in God to guide thee / And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee, / And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love / Builds on the rock that naught can move.”
Reduced to trusting God’s guidance is a good place to be. Yesterday’s introit or entrance psalm said, “He spread a cloud for a covering and fire to give light by night” (Psalm 105:39). That was the psalmist’s reminder how God had led ancient Israel through the wilderness. Here’s the historical account. “Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the hose of Israel throughout all their journeys” (Exodus 40:3-6-38).
We’re in our own kind of wilderness, disease, weather, social unrest, political chaos and God only knows what else. He really does! Add in your personal problems. Would it make any difference if you knew why these things are happening? I don’t know that God explained everything to ancient Israel. He simply asked them to follow His guidance to a promised land.
”Be patient and await His leisure / In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er thy Father’s pleasure / And His discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known / To Him who chose us for His own.”
Today no cloud or fire leads us. Jesus’ words do. “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or What shall we drink?” (or whatever is paining you today). “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33). We don’t ask God “why?” As obedient children, we trust our Father’s love and guidance. He “chose us for His own.”
“Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, / Perform thy duties faithfully,
And trust His Word; though undeserving, / Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook in need / The soul that trusted Him indeed.”
(Lutheran Service Book, 750: 1, 3, 7).
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