The Journey
By Lisa Boyer
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28
Sometimes during life’s journey we find ourselves on routes we didn’t expect….By Lisa Boyer
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28
In Genesis 37, we read of the young man Joseph who had dreams, dreams from God of his brothers bowing down to him. But in Genesis 39 and 40, we find that he’s not being revered by his brothers, he’s been sold into slavery by them and is in an Egyptian prison. Prison: not where Joseph expected to be.
1 Samuel 16 tells us of the young shepherd boy David who is anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next king of Israel. But in I Samuel 19 through 26, instead of ruling a kingdom we find David hiding in caves, hunted like an animal by King Saul who’s trying to kill him. Hiding: not where David expected to be.
Those unexpected routes in life can surely shake one’s faith, but Joseph and David remained faithful. Now, we Bible readers may be tempted to take their faith for granted because we can turn forward a few pages and see how their life’s journeys unfold: Joseph is made a ruler in Egypt and his brothers do bow down before him; David becomes the king and rules for 40 years. But Joseph and David were in the middle of their journeys without the Book to tell them how things turn out. All they knew was that God made a promise and they believed He was going to keep it. They kept the faith in spite of years of waiting…yes, years. The two chapters describing the events of Joseph’s slavery and imprisonment covered 13 years of his life’s journey. From the time David is anointed as king to when he actually becomes king is over 15 years.
The middle of life’s journey can be difficult and long, but we must not lose sight of the fact that we are in the midst of a journey. It’s not over yet. We may not be able to see where our journey leads, but we KNOW that God is always up to something in our lives and it’s always a good something, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Have you become discouraged with your life’s journey? Today, will you reaffirm your commitment to follow and trust God no matter what route your life’s journey takes?
2. Have you intentionally left the path God had you on? Right now, will you go to God in prayer and get back on the route He has planned for you?
FURTHER READING:
Psalm 16:11; I John 3:2a; Jeremiah 29:11
Lisa has been married to Ted for 18 years and they have two teenage sons. She is a co-leader for the Junior High girls’ small group.
