This is about the glorious, protective hand of a providential God. I’ve been hit in a concentrated way with the truth that God is guiding all events of history with the end in sight. This means that all events are purposeful and work together for the good He has preordained. Forgive me for sounding Calvinistic, but when I stand with my personal life smacking me in the face and the scriptures warming my heart with this principle, I cannot argue. I invite you to praise God with me in these three moments in which He shows off His omniscience.
Some of you have received my latest newsletter which shared my Christmas plans (if you didn’t receive it and you would like to, send me a note via this blog site or email: lafnwithjoy@yahoo.com). Unfortunately, I had to cancel my plans to greet my friend’s family in her village because the trip requires 12 more hrs than I expected, and I’d only be able to stay one day. As bummed as I am, I’m grateful for the change of plans because I ended up getting weakened by a sick bug and needed a couple nights of extra rest, which would not have been possible if my original plans had stood. Other issues also raised up which were only taken care of because I had the extra time. The Lord is looking out for me.
But not just me; last night Briska shared how God has protected her twice from possible danger. Remember, Briska is the girl who helps me and Tara, my new housemate, in the house. First she recounted her experience from last year’s crisis after our elections. She woke up the day of the riots with the notion to do her laundry on my compound, so she packed her clothes and headed over. When she reached our gate, the guard clued my oblivious friend of the violence infecting the city between the Muslims and Christians. He directed her eyes to the sky and, lo, it was black with deathly smoke. Since her “neighborhood” has many Muslim families in it, she ended up staying in our compound for the three weeks, escaping the danger that did end up spreading to her area. She packed her laundry, unknowing that God had prompted her to pack for her own rescue mission!
Similarly, there are rumors of imminent danger on Christmas day due to “the Muslims’” plot to attack and send Christians “running with their rice and meat in their hands.” It is hard to verify such things, but it is enough to plant fear in hearts. She prayed for God to give her a place for refuge, thinking of my place, but not wanting to say anything to me before God did. That very same day, I come waltzing up to her, thinking it’d be a nice treat for her to stay at my place while Tara and I are gone (big change from her block of a house), I offer it to her. I love that I had no clue of any rumors or need of hers because God now gets all the glory. What timing! What guiding! Oh, how He cares for each of us and delights in using us for His purposes. What goodness!
For those who are still shaking your head at the perplexing thought of your crazy friend who’s gallivanting around Africa, this is another reminder that God is very present here...and there…in Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, and Nepal, and the Philippines, and China…
There is nothing more appropriate than Psalm 139
“O Lord, you have searched me and hyou know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in –behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee fro your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea [whether I’m in Africa, North America, Europe, in the air, on the road, in the classroom, Asia, the Middle East, the South Pacific], even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (1-10).
I can’t help but tack on a little bit about my teaching experience (enter: my predominate position here). My struggles of inadequacy still come, but by God’s grace, they are not nearly as painful or often as last year (and maybe a year under my belt doesn’t hurt). Still, I wrestle in a daily battle with my weakness which ironically puts up a strong fight. Comfort floods my heart and mind when I remember that I am not blazing a new trail because God has already gone before me, and I’m not alone because He is also by my side—ready to fill my very being. Walking in the strength of the Spirit strangely doesn’t leave one with a sense of empowerment but rather of humble satisfaction. I suppose this is to follow the idea of dying daily, yet being made alive in Christ so that the message we carry in jars of clay will fully glorify Christ alone (2 Corinthians 4:7-12).
