Sometimes,
what’s ahead and behind is just as important as what’s in the middle. And we
need to be strong for all of it.
My wife and I
once took a vacation to visit my brother and sister-in-law who had moved to
West Virginia. They lived in an area where coal mines are prevalent but not
much else. Their home was situated on the side of a mountain and in a valley
where the sun doesn’t rise until ten in the morning but sets at three in the
afternoon.
Across the
highway was a small stream paralleled by railroad tracks. Several times each
day, I heard a whistle blow, saw a bright light, and then marveled as two
engines slithered around the corner of the mountain, pulling numerous cars
loaded with coal. After what seemed like an eternity, the end arrived, pushed
by two equally strong engines. What pulled the train was just as important as
what pushed it.
Moses led the Israelites through forty years of wandering in
the wilderness. God led them with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar
of fire at night. Neither their shoes nor their clothes wore out. He supplied
water, meat, and manna. He went before them to the Red Sea and positioned
himself behind them when Pharaoh’s army pursued them. But then, it came time
for Moses to die. Joshua would take over. God would be the energy behind him
and the Israelites as they conquered the Promised Land.
God gives us the same promise. I’ve learned when I don’t let God
go before and behind me, I’ll make a mess of things. He doesn’t appear in a
pillar of cloud or fire but in the continual abiding presence of his
Spirit residing in me.
If we pay attention to the still small voice speaking to our hearts, we’ll find the power to make the right decisions, take the proper paths, and find the correct answers to life’s most important questions.
Like the train engines, God provides the strength. All we
must do is rely on it. What are you finding strength in to face each day?
Prayer: Father, we pray for Your strength to face life’s
journey and all it holds.
Tweetable: What are you finding strength in?
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