This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge,  my place of safety;

he is my God, and I trust him.

Psalm 91:2 (NLT)

Last night at choir rehearsal, I was putting my music in order when a friend plopped down beside me and asked, “What do you do when you don’t know what to do?” Then she stopped talking and just looked at me. I wasn’t completely in the dark about what is going on her life so I responded to her that we trust God and take it one step at a time.

“But what do you do when it is hard and others are involved?”

Memories flooded my mind as I thought back to the last few months. There were times when I cried out, asking God why? And the words of Job echoed, “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.” We don’t know why the trials hit but we do know the source of our strength. God is sovereign and that is enough for me.

As we talked, I reminded her that the only person we can control is ourselves. It doesn’t do any good to try and manipulate the situation, whine or complain, or even stamp our feet. God is in control and we’re never alone in the whirlwind. He promises new mercies every morning, a relief to both of us since we sure can use them up fast.

As the rehearsal progressed, we practiced Bow the Knee. While singing the beautiful melody and lyrics, I noticed that the message of the song captured the heart of our earlier conversation:

There are moments on our journey following the Lord

Where God illumines ev’ry step we take.

There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us,

As we try to understand each move He makes.

When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him.

Bow the knee;

Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.

Bow the knee;

Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.

And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,

In the presence of the King, bow the knee.

There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall,

The cold and lonely winds won’t cease to blow.

And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel;

We are tempted to believe God does not know.

 When the storms arise, don’t forget we live by faith and not by sight.

After rehearsal, I hurried over to my friend and asked her if she, too, had noticed the message of the song.

“Yes, and I didn’t want to catch your eye or I knew I would lose it.” We gave each other a knowing look as we headed out to the parking lot.

I love it when I get a glimpse of the puzzle that God is putting together. It is going to be a glorious picture.

 

5/21/10