FAITH CAPSULE: The word of God in the bible is the manual to navigate through the journey of life.
Psalm 34
Life is a journey that is full of ups and down. God is good to perform His word for man that trust and hope in His word. It is written in Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” In the journey of life, God did not plan evil to derail His future plan for man. In journey of life, challenges shall be in place but the grace of God is more than available and enough to make us to grow over challenges of the journey of life. The word of God in Psalm 34:19 is an assurance to persevere the challenges of journey knowing that, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” God always honors His word and He will not fail to perform it.
In the case of the Israelites’ journey of life through the wilderness, the Lord led them through the safest route. It was a route that avoided war with the forces of the enemy. The Lord’s route for them was to prevent them from becoming victim at the hands of enemy. God’s route was to keep them from a route that takes them from going back but forward. Is your present route taking you backward instead of forward because of the challenges ahead? Above all, God directed Israelites through a route where there would have been no reason for the Israelites from going back into the captivity of Egypt. Exodus 13:17-18 recorded, “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.” In God’s deliverance of Israelites from entering a war route, they turned and entered to complaint and rebellious route. Disobedience against the promise of God’s leadership took charge of their journey. The Israelites failed to acknowledge the leadership of God.
Know that challenges will come to make up but not able to break you. Today, encourage yourself in the Lord; let it be clear to you that God will get you to where He is taking you if you do not step out of His command.
Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to follow through His route not by your own route.