God's Provisions

Sunday, 04 May 2003

Do you want to make God laugh? Plan! That's what a friend told me today. We were talking about how good God is, how much He wants us to enjoy this life, how much we love serving Him each day we live.

Is it true that God laughs when we plan? Well, maybe, and maybe He just smiles to Himself a bit and lets us have our way for awhile. Like children on a playground, as their parents sit by watching them dig in the sand, climb up the slide, swing on the swing. Then they see a glint in their child's eyes, an idea has sprung and the child starts towards the tallest slide on the playground. They make plans to climb up to the top, to slide down "all by themselves," and the parents get up from where they've been sitting to walk over and help them with their "plan." The children may have no idea the danger they are heading towards, the speed they will experience on the ride down, the sudden drop off at the bottom. They may have no gratitude for the helping hand, for our catching them before they slide off and get hurt. They have no idea what they've been saved from, or even that we were that big of a help to them. All they knew was they were having a good time. They made a plan, their plan seemed successful and they'll probably try it again soon.

They plan, we smile and help them along the way to keep them from getting hurt. They are experiencing life, learning as they grow, testing the waters, and finding out what this world is all about, a little at a time.

There are so many lessons to be learned, so many experiences to be had, and they never will end our entire lives. For awhile, God gives us parents to watch over us, as He also watches over us. Then we are on our own one day and we are not answering to our parents anymore. We are answering to God, each step of the way. He is the one watching us on the "playground." He is the one seeing the glint in our eyes as we look for new things to explore, new places to visit, new jobs to try, new ideas to be examined.

We think we're on our own, that no one is even watching, and yet that is not true. God always has His eye on us. He would never leave us on the "playground" alone! He is too good of Father for that! We are loved, and cared for and nurtured by the very best Parent ever, our Father in Heaven. Jesus knew that! And Jesus didn't make His own plans. Everything He did on this earth, He consulted with His Father.

But I do nothing without consulting the Father.
John 6:30
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Why did He do that?

For I have come down from heaven to do the will
of God who sent me, not to do what I want.
John 6:38
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Jesus was here to do the will of His Father. We have not "come down from heaven," but should we be any different? If this was good enough for Jesus, shouldn't it be good enough for all of us who believe in Him?

It makes me think...Did Jesus have any trouble hearing from God? Did He have trouble trying to figure out what His Father wanted Him to do like we seem to? Sometimes it seems we ask and ask, and still we are confused as to which way to turn. Did Jesus experience that?

My opinion...Jesus knew His Father so well, He didn't have much trouble in the "hearing" department. He not only is the Son of God, He is God.

Then midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple
and began to teach. The Jewish leaders were surprised
when they heard him. "How does he know so much when he
hasn't studied everything we've studied?" they asked.

So Jesus told them, "I'm not teaching my own ideas,
but those of God who sent me."
John 7:14-16
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He was sent to this earth! He had lived in Heaven. He knew His Father WELL! He knew what He was here to do. That doesn't mean it was always easy for Him, because the job He was sent to do was done in a human, fleshly body, but there was no question what His job on this earth was. He was sent here to do the Father's will and to save us from ourselves. To die for our sins, and to rise on the third day, conquer death, and provide a way for all of us to live forever in Heaven. It was clear. It was known since time began. The plan was God's plan. Jesus knew and followed through with all that He was called to do.

God planned, man didn't laugh. Man questioned, man disbelieved, man turned away, man tried to make it on his own even after God stepped onto the playground to help out.

But we say, "I'll do it myself!"

What are we thinking? If Jesus didn't make a move without consulting with the Father, why do we think we are so capable of doing it on our own?
I don't know!

That evening his disciples went down to the
shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and
Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the
boat and headed out across the lake toward
Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them
as they rowed, and the sea grew very rough.
They were three or four miles out when suddenly they
saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat.
They were terrified, but he called out to them,
"I am here! Don't be afraid." Then they were eager to
let him in, and immediately the boat arrived at
their destination!
John 6:16-21
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There they were, waiting for Jesus at the water's edge, but since He didn't show up, they set off across the lake on their own. Were they supposed to? Did they consult with God first? Did they just decide it was time to go ahead, and not wait on Jesus any longer? I don't know! But off they went, and then Jesus caught up with them out in the middle of the lake, walking on water. He got up off the "lawn," walked toward the children, and helped them down the slide...out of the danger they had gotten themselves into. He told them not to be afraid, He was there! Just like any good parent would!

What if we didn't go ahead of God? What if we waited until God arrived before we pushed off from shore, then rowed with Him each day of our lives? Would we spare ourselves a whole lot of trouble? Would we miss many storms that were brewing ahead because we waited to be led at the right time, in the right way? What would the disciples have been spared had they waited for Jesus? What was so urgent that they needed to get going? Whatever it was, they may not have made it if Jesus had not rescued them, or they may have been tossed overboard and had a long, long swim to the shore. A perhaps unneeded, long and difficult time at sea that could have been avoided by simply waiting on Jesus.

But we make our plans, and God laughs, or smiles, and comes out to rescue us from our distress many, many times. We are up on the top of that tall slide, ready to glide into certain disaster if He does not intervene. If only we would stop, walk over to the "lawn," consult with our Father and ask His advice. Ask Him if we are ready for such an adventure, ask Him if we should wait awhile until we are more prepared for the climb?

They replied, "What does God want us to do?"
Jesus told them, "This is what God wants you to do:
Believe in the one he has sent."
John 6:28-29
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Wow, that's it? Just believe? Not jump into the boat and row across the lake NOW? Just wait on you Lord? Believe in who you are Jesus, and that our Father has sent You?

It is the Spirit who gives eternal life.
Human effort accomplishes nothing.
John 6:63
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Human effort, all our planning, what does it accomplish if it is not the will of God? If we wait on Jesus, He will let us know if it is time to shove off from shore, or to wait it out for awhile. We may not know the storm is brewing out in the middle of the lake, but He does. We may never know we even missed being caught in that storm if we wait on Him, but He does. What we will know is that life seems a bit easier, that planning is not so all important, and that God really does care about all the details of our lives and is way ahead of any great plans we could ever make!

I write this as I am once again amazed at the great plans God has in store when we have no answers to so many questions. Sometimes it seems Jim and I are walking along with what feels like the wind of God behind our backs, gently pushing us in the direction He would have us go. We are not sure what direction that is, we are not even sure where it leads, but as we trust in God, we see His provisions. Even when we have no idea how He will accomplish these things from our limited point of view, He is gradually showing us.

I laughed as I wrote to you about our nights at Wal-Mart. Sleeping in the parking lot in our new RV. That is where we spent our first couple of nights, then we took it out on the road for about three weeks to Oregon, Lancaster, Paso Robles, and back home again. Pulling back into town, we were welcomed to the home of some friends whose driveway was about a mile long, but not wide enough to accommodate our three slide-outs, so we parked it out on the street for two nights in front of their home. Then it was back to Wal-Mart...being the "disciples" that we are, we questioned the plans God had for us; if we were to move every night, if Wal-Mart was to be our residence, or just what God had in mind? We told God we were willing to move every night, if that is what He had for us. We knew He had brought us this far, and being that we were now at the top of the "slide," there was really no turning back. We have moved out of our home, put it on the market, and are living in our RV full-time.

Guess what God did? He came right over the next day and said, "Here, let me help you." Do you know how He did that? He had some wonderful people invite us out to their property. Not just any property, but 5 acres in a beautiful green canyon, where the deer minus the antelope roam!  A wonderful country setting just minutes from our old home, making it possible to continue on with the plans He has for us here until it's time to be out on the road for greater periods of time.

Do you know the amazement that fills our hearts, our minds, our souls as we sit here in our RV surrounded by such beauty, on a spot that only God knew about when we ordered our new home in October, 6 months ago? Back when our hearts were still so broken we hardly remember signing on the dotted line. Back when we picked out this new "home" on our trip up to Tahoe where we went to celebrate Phil's first birthday in Heaven. This was back when we got our financing in order and then Jim was laid off from his job the very next week, after getting everything set and in place to make this RV possible. God's perfect timing!

God knew...and we didn't have a clue. All we knew was there was this gentle wind at our backs, moving us in this direction. We had questions that wouldn't end that were without answers. We had doubts that were prayed about endlessly. We had a house to down-size and get on the market, and a dog that once belonged to Phil that needed a new home. (By the way, Phil's dog Dackel is settling into her new home with his cousins just great and they love her more each day.)

We were making plans as this gentle breeze moved us along, and I truly believe Jesus was already in the "boat" with us. We didn't shove off from shore without Him, and it seems that for maybe the first time in our lives we are truly finding out what it is like to follow where He leads. It is a strange way to live, may I say, although strange is not really the correct way to express it. It just feels foreign because we are people who have always planned and then asked God. Now we are asking God, "what do you think about that slide?" and He is directing our steps up it. Instead of knowing what's ahead, we are asking Him what's ahead. We are asking Him what's next? What He has for our future? Where He would like to take us? Is it time? Should we climb?

We have the wheels now! He has provided all six of them underneath our new "home!" Now the only question we really have is, how would He have us use them? God knows which direction we should go and when! To us, it really doesn't matter. We are happy to be here, we are happy to travel, we are happy to serve God in any way He would like. He has brought us so very far, and we don't want to shove off from any shore without Him! That would be crazy!

At this point many of his disciples turned
away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned
to the Twelve and asked, "Are you going to leave, too?"
Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go?
You alone have the words that give eternal life. We believe
them, and we know you are the Holy One of God."
John 6:66-69
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The disciples had seen so many things that Jesus had done, and yet some of them were deserting Him. Not the Twelve though, they knew He was the Holy One of God.

We have travelled a long and treacherous road to get to this point in our lives. We have gone down the "slides" by ourselves and we have walked hand in hand with Jesus too. Which do we prefer? It goes without saying, we believe, and I pray we will walk with Him all our days.

Before we knew where we would put our new home, when we were sleeping in the Wal-Mart parking lot telling God that we would go wherever, whenever, He had already prepared a place for us to rest our "home" for however long He decides. We are enjoying each day He gives us here and we will wait along this "shore" until He climbs in the boat and says it's time to move on. We can't imagine the places we will go or the things we will do, but we know that we will be simply amazed with the journey!

That is not to say there won't be future storms. Life is full of them. But there are also calm seas to be enjoyed. There will be gentle breezes that will move us along, and we are starting to recognize just how very important they are. When serving a gentle God, one who directs our steps in a still, small voice, it's important to listen carefully and patiently until He speaks. Most times we won't even understand the reason why, just as children on the playground don't understand why they can't climb the highest slide at age two; but as we continue to grow and learn and trust, it becomes very clear that our Father in Heaven only wants the best for us and if we will wait on Him, He will provide the guidance we are needing, when we are needing it, in the most loving way possible.

Going back tonight and reading some of the e-mails that I have sent out since Phil left for heaven is an excellent reminder of how God is working in our lives. A little history lesson that reminds me of how far He has brought us in this short amount of time, and it leaves me in awe and wonder at the places we will go in the future.

Remember the former things, those of long ago.
I am God, and there is no other.
I am God, and there is none like me.
Isaiah 46:9
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Our "boat" is waiting for you Jesus. Take your time, we're in no hurry. We have learned about the storms, we have learned about Your provisions in our lives, and we are satisfied that You know what is best! We'll wait for you to climb in and travel with us!

To whom else would we go? You alone know the way!
"You alone have the words that give eternal life."

Living in His peace and joy,
Diane