I had several encouraging phone calls and meetings this week with folks. The encouragement wasn’t so much my particular enjoyment of their company and fellowship, though that’s a given. It was in the spiritual joy of the encounters.
Two of the meetings centered on what it means to seek God for direction in life. In both cases, the persons were on the cusp of significant life decisions that would have a bearing on the direction of their life. In both instances, they sought counsel from godly advisors. In both cases, they explored various scenarios and outcomes. In both cases, they sought the Lord earnestly in the Word and praying frequently and perseveringly. And in both cases the Lord kindly supplied them with the wisdom and resolve they needed to make the decision.
In other words, these meetings were not a cry for help but an offer of thanksgiving. They wanted, of course, to inform me of their decision, which I appreciated. But, more importantly, they wanted to share with me what God had done and to invite me to rejoice with them.
It’s no wonder they were so full of peace! Not the kind of peace that comes from being sure that you made the right decision. Since the decisions were matters of liberty not morality, that kind of peace wasn’t possible. For no matter how sure we are, we never know how something is going to turn out. We are, after all, not in control of the outcome. And that was the point for these dear folks. Their peace wasn’t in the decision, but in God. Their peace came from knowing that God was Lord over the decision, was with them in the decision, and that He can be trusted with their future no matter what (Phil. 4:6-7).
Now, that’s a truth to hang on to as we start 2020. Who knows what this year holds for you? What joys will you know? What sorrows will you face? God knows. In fact, He’s already written the story of this year (Isaiah 46:10), and if you know and love Him, rest assured—He’s working all of it together for good (Romans 8:28).