What to expect on God’s path (1)
2020-10-01Hebrews 11:8 NKJV
The Bible says, ‘By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.’
It can be very daunting to step onto the path God’s chosen for us when we don’t know what lies on that path and what we’ll have to face. So for the next few days, let’s think about some of the things we can expect on our journey.
First, we can expect opportunities and opposition. Paul wrote, ‘There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me’ (1 Corinthians 16:9 NLT). The enemy will target us and try to make us walk away from God’s path, and the size of the task God’s given us will often determine how big and forceful the attack is. So if you find you’re coming under attack, you can look at it as confirmation that you’re following the correct path. However, if you don’t encounter obstacles and opposition, you should pray and ask God if you’re on the right track.
Second, we’ll probably encounter setbacks that are meant to derail us. Proverbs 24:16 says: ‘The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked’ (NLT). It doesn’t matter how many times we fail, as long as we’re prepared to learn from it, ask God for strength and wisdom, and try again. If sin causes us to stumble, we should confess and repent, then get back on track. It’s understandable and natural if we fail because we’re trying something new and unfamiliar. We need to draw on God’s grace, be determined to do better, and keep moving forwards.