Gun Shy

"And the Israelites inquired of the LORD.

(In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,

with Phinehas son of Eleazar,

the son of Aaron,

ministering before it.)

They asked,

'Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites,

our fellow Israelites, or not?'

The LORD responded,

'Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands.'"

Judges 20:27-28

They did everything God said to do, fighting against the tribe of Benjamin.  When God instructed them to send Judah first, leading the way, the Israelite soldiers complied.  After losing 22,000 to the men of Gibeah, did they not face their foes a second time despite their great loss, just as the Lord commanded?  Still, 18,000 men died despite being armed with swords.  Where was the favor of God? 

Incredibly, this is not the end of the story.  When approaching God a third time, inquiring as to whether they should meet on the battlefield again, the Lord responded in the affirmative, this time promising victory.  How could they trust God after what appeared to be two false starts?  Two horrible defeats?  Two incredible losses?

Things don't always go the way I plan.  While it is true that the soldiers of Israel may have been relying too much on their might and not enough on the Lord (v 17), not even bothering to seek God's favor through humble sacrifice before the first two battles (v 18, 23), it still would have been difficult to take God at His Word with two such overwhelming setbacks under their belt.  

Similarly, it can be hard for me to trust God when I may feel let down when going God's way.  How can I trust Him when He seems to have sent me on a wild goose chase, taking me through circumstances that hurt but seemed to result in nothing good?  When I feel gun shy while considering whether or not to risk trusting God again, there are a few things I must keep in mind.

Perspective

Flying over the country at 30,000 feet gives me a different perspective.  Fields of crops appear as patchwork quilts.  Lakes that provide homes to thousands of fish and recreation to hundreds of humans look like mere puddles.  My house that means so much to me as a peaceful refuge from a hectic, fast-paced world doesn't look like much of anything from such a high vantage point.  Surveying the world from way up in the sky obscures details, minimizes scale and gives me a much broader view.

Similarly, seeing things more from God's perspective lends a whole new slant to my current difficulties.  The details that seem so overwhelming to me fade away when seen as part of the big picture.  What looks like a huge problem to me, overshadowing everything else in my life, diminishes greatly when looked at from the perspective of God's overall plan.  It's hard for me to see the purpose when I'm only focused on my own little life.  Broadening my scope reminds me that my life is only one tiny part of a grander scheme.

Reminding myself that God has a plan that is much greater than anything I could comprehend helps me to gain a proper perspective.  When I only pay attention to what is hurting me, causing me distress, or overwhelming my days, I am failing to keep the big picture in mind.  Fixing my eyes on the One who holds my life in His hands helps me to be able to negotiate all the difficulties that come my way.  

I can trust God even when things seem to be working against me when I maintain a godly perspective.

Eyes on the Prize

I stood at the end of the slippery log set like a bridge across a small ravine.  How could I ever cross this obstacle?  What if I fall?  So I slowly began shuffling my way across, keep my eyes focused on my feet.  Then I heard the voice of one of the Marines supervising the course my daughters and I were traversing as part of a race.  "Keep your eyes on the end of the log, not on your feet."

As I followed his instructions, I found my balance improved and I was able to walk more confidently.  Soon I was across the bridge, safely on the other side.  Life is not so different from crossing this scary obstacle.  When I keep my eyes focused on what I'm facing, fear builds and I feel petrified, unable to move forward on the path where God is leading me.  

When I change the direction of my focus, however, and keep my eyes fixed on my Shepherd, things start to make sense, the fear subsides and I am able to walk forward confidently.  (Hebrews 12:1-2)  Furthermore, maintaining more of an eternal focus encourages me to invest in God's kingdom, while keeping my eyes on the material, temporary surroundings pushes me toward buying into that which will not last.  (Matthew 6:32-33)

I can trust God even when things seem to be working against me when I keep my eyes on the One for who I am living and the reward He is preparing for me.

Blind Faith

I didn't know what I was doing.  All I knew was what I had been told: Follow the directions to the "t."  Therefore, I accomplished every step without understanding what the finished product would look like.  Not surprisingly, working in the office of a welding company was my least favorite summer job.

It's hard to keep working toward a goal without being able to understand to what I am contributing.  When I can't see the result or comprehend how all the pieces are fitting together to make the end product, it's hard for me to carry on.  The thing about faith is, it is more about Who I am following than what I am doing.

In other words, if I know I can trust God, then it is unnecessary for me to know about every step I am to take and why I am to walk that way.  After all, He tells us that, "Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)  I read nothing there about having confidence in what I can prove and being assured of what can be confirmed with my senses.  Therefore, I am to walk blindly forward, trusting in the God who has promised to give me good things, lead me through life in a way that will best benefit me, and never leave my side.  (Matthew 7:9-11, Romans 8:28, Deuteronomy 31:6)

I can trust God even when things seem to be working against me when I trust God without thinking I need to understand what He's doing.

It's hard to have faith in God when He seems to be leading me down a path on which I do not want to travel.  How can this possibly be good for me?  Why is He torturing me so?  Should I keep following Him?  While I may have moments of doubt, trusting God is based completely on God's character rather than on how things turn out.  Therefore, I can stay steady in my walk with Him when I keep an eternal perspective, focus my attention on the Lord and what He is preparing for me, and basing my trust on God, not on my desire to understand.  In these ways I'll walk forward confidently, even if I feel a bit gun shy from past experiences.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep focused on the big picture.

When do I get discouraged because God seems to be leading me into difficulty after difficulty?

How can I build my faith by focusing on who God is?