Forty Days of Praise: Director
And (Ruth) happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz. Ruth 2:3
Heartbeat of God, page 102
The book of Ruth is one of my very favorite books of the Bible. I just love how Ruth just always seemed to do the next right thing. She made her home in a foreign land and instead of depending on Naomi or waiting for good fortune to happen, she took the initiative. She went to work. God knew all along where He was directing her. It was not a coincidence that she would ‘happen” to glean in the field of her future husband. How incredibly comforting it is to me to know that He KNOWS the right path- even when we have absolutely no idea where it will lead. No matter what plans we may make, His plans are always going to trump ours. Sometimes He makes us do an about face and head in a totally different direction. Some of those times He directs us on the road of patience, or perseverance, or trial. As painful as some of those paths may be, we can hold on to His word: “Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul…Teach me to do Your will , for You are my God; may Your good spirit lead me to level ground” (Psalm 143: 8,10). His direction is not only good, it’s best and as Amy pointed out on Friday, can be a game changer.
Right now He may be leading you down one of those painful paths.This I know; none of us planned on a pandemic that’s taking jobs away, unsettling finances, making moms into insta-homeschool parents, and bringing deadly illness to some - with no definite end in sight. As much as I don't like ANY of this, I am curious to see what God is up to in the circumstances and where He is leading. I feel like there is a giant re-set button in heaven that God is pressing. Right now He may be giving us opportunities we might not have taken the time to see previously. This pandemic has been a big course corrector for many. I think now more than ever we are being called to lean into our God, get to know Him on a more intimate level, and surrender to the path we are to go. We are to steadfastly hold on to Him for our next move. It’s defilingly worth remembering that even if we make a wrong turn, we can trust Him to redirect our steps. There is no promise this will alleviate the difficulty we may be experiencing now but it may bring new meaning and purpose or at least open our eyes to something new. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight “(Proverbs 3:5-6). Hallelujah! This is a God whose coat tails I want to grab on to. Just like Ruth, we are blind to what’s around the corner: but He SEES and He DIRECTS us there.
Wherever you are today, whether you have nothing pressing to do as you social distance or you have too much to do because of circumstances , let’s communicate with our Great Director. Tell Him your troubles and concerns and ask Him which path to take. Listen to Him and trust in His divine guidance and like Ruth, take action and do the next right thing. Leave the results up to Him.
For further reading: 2 Corinthians 5:7; Psalm 143:8-10; Matthew 6:13; Proverbs 16:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; Isaiah 30:21; Psalm 84:11.
God ,You are the Great Director. You tell us Your ways are always better than our ways; let us cling to that truth. When we get off track please reroute our hearts and minds back to You. Determine our steps and keep us close to You as we walk this journey out. We are confident that the unknown road is known to You. We pray this not only over ourselves but over our loved ones as well. Even if they aren't believers use Your divine power to direct their steps. May they recognize You in this scenario and be convicted You are the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Amen
