Just as those who are deprived of light cannot walk straight, so also those who do not behold the ray of the Holy Scriptures must necessarily sin, since they walk in the deepest darkness.
~St. John Chrysostom,
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is Mine; therefore I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.
~ Jesus, King of The Universe
Oh beloved, it is true.
Anyone who has ever tried to just follow Him as He leads, will come up on some times where things just don’t make sense. It is as if we have been following a clear path of His leading, but suddenly we feel like we are losing the trail.
This fool of a writer has been flung out into three countries in the past nearly 6 years. We are currently in Northern China. And it was in this place that we thought we might finish out our life’s work. I have been studying Mandarin, and just beginning to get a feel for this beautiful language. I was just promoted into a position where i was helping other teachers become better teachers. And my beautiful wife was making a difference in kid’s lives with her counseling work.
And this last week, the wheels came off.
We found out that there were some very significant problems with our paperwork that allowed us to work in China. And, for those of you who have never lived in a foreign country, one finds that the path to the right paperwork can be dark as well. It is often hard to even know what to do, or how to assure things are going properly.
Anyway, for whatever reason, we will be needing to leave in June of next year.
Where are we going? I have no idea.
Nor do i care.
What?
Can we see it?
Read the passage, beloved. It was never up to me to declare what or where i needed to go in the future. It is up to Him to decide this. And, for us to live any other way, is for us to basically be telling G_d that He does not know how to do His own job.
Now, have no doubt. We feel the stresses. We feel the angst that wants to creep in. We are experiencing stress nearly beyond our ability to cope. But, what we don’t have is fear. There is no need to be fearful, and it simply doesn’t help, even if we chose to succumb to that temptation.
No, what is more important is to simply obey. If i am honestly identified with Christ, then my life is going to be taking on His nature. We, in Him, begin to take on His way of doing things. Notice how submissive and obedient G_d is, even amongst His interrelationship. One part of the Trinity does not presume to speak without the guidance and permission of the other. It is the loveliest of Loves. Pure giving. Pure submission. Pure obedience.
And it is this place, this place of willing, loving submission, and obedience that we find what He would have us do. Stay in His Word. Listen to His Voice. Wait for Him to tell you.
So, are you wondering what is next in your life? We are. But, we know that the location is not important. He is already there. We have but to wait on His guidance. He will tell us. And, He will tell us in His time.
Tonight is your night. Time to obey. Even if it’s dark.
Every wise workman takes his tools away from the work from time to time that they may be ground and sharpened; so does the only-wise Jehovah take his ministers oftentimes away into darkness and loneliness and trouble, that he may sharpen and prepare them for harder work in his service.
~Robert Murray McCheyne
