Daily Devotional for Tuesday, August 26

Paul’s Commitment

“For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit,” 1 Corinthians 16:7.

On Highway 71 south of Mena, Arkansas, lies a place that has captured my attention for over thirty-five years: Bob’s Used Car Lot. Bob’s is no longer in business, but I still have a picture of that place with me, my horse, my family and our vehicles. My family showed horses. It is what we did growing up. We started out local but eventually migrated to competitions farther and farther away. Dallas was our longest trip, and we were headed that way, six hours from home. We first broke down in Mena. This delayed us a day, but we persevered. One hour into that perseverance, we broke down again, at Bob’s Used Car Lot. And there we stayed, on the side of the road, for ten hours holding horses in the shade, waiting for my Dad to return with another vehicle.

This place stands as a testament that sometimes it’s just not meant to be. Or as Paul put it, the Lord did not permit. That is life. We can have strong intentions and good intentions. We can work hard and prepare accordingly. Sometimes, though, things do not work out. Paul had a desire to come and be with the Corinthians, but he knew that ultimately it was up to the Lord. He could plan and prepare, but God had to permit.

We need to know this for at least two reasons. First, we need to remove arrogance from our plans. We do not know everything and are not in control of everything. God is sovereign. Second, we need to admit God’s goodness, even and especially in God’s providential stalling or changing of our plans. The Bible is full of this truth, from beginning to end.

REFLECTION

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. Believe it.

Jason Rutherford