The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”
Psalms 32:8 (NLT)
The status quo is changing this year—at least for Mindy and me.
Two years ago, my company was acquired through a leveraged buyout. As a result of this hostile takeover, my office is closing around July, 2017.
Multiple inquiries concerning my options for continued employment have yielded no definitive answers yet. The only thing I know for certain is that sometime later this year I will not be driving to 7101 Distribution Drive where I have worked the last 18 years. Knowing that some degree of change in my employment status is inevitable has led me to spend much time in prayer concerning the possible scenarios that could play out. Will the changes that loom be as disruptive as an Asian tsunami or as benign as the gentle breakers off the Florida gulf coast? Time will tell.
When Jesus told the disciples of His imminent death and resurrection (Matthew 17:22-23), they were “greatly distressed.” They apparently missed the part about Him being raised on the third day. Human nature I suppose, but when we hear that change is coming, we tend to focus more on the potentially negative repercussions rather than the future opportunities that lie ahead.
A couple of months ago—during a customary early morning walk—my faith was greatly encouraged as I meditated on the above verse from Psalms 32:8. I am a firm believer in the form of meditation that involves speaking God’s Word out loud. Some call this self talk. I think of it more as preaching to myself.
We find still another perspective on this form of meditation in 1 Samuel 30. David and his band of 600 men have returned to Ziklag only to find it burned to the ground and all the people taken captive by the Amalekites. David was greatly distressed, for his own men wanted to stone him. However, he didn’t allow himself to remain in that state of mind. Instead, we read, “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” How did he do this? I suggest he encouraged himself by speaking out the promises of God. Regardless of what you choose to call this, the benefit and revelation that comes from such meditation is often significant. While reciting Psalms 32:8 and prayerfully considering each word, there were a number of things that made a distinct impression on me that morning.
The first thing that caught my attention is that God has not simply promised to guide me; He has promised to guide me along the best pathway for my life. I’m not just on any path; I’m on the best path. Furthermore, it’s the best path for my life. My path may not be the best path for you, but it is for me. It’s hard to describe how comforting I found this revelation to be amid such uncertainty.
The next thing I realized is that God knows what’s around the corner and over the next hill. I don’t know what awaits in the next valley or beyond the horizon, but He does and He’s already there waiting for me.
The expression, “I’ve got this” is extremely popular today, but when it pertains to my future I would rather say, “He’s got this.”
Knowing I’m on the best pathway is terrific, but there’s even more encouragement to be found in Psalms 32:8. God promises to advise me and watch over me. This is significant because I don’t know what’s around the corner or beyond the horizon. But I don’t have to worry about these things because the most sagacious Adviser and faithful Watchman who neither slumbers nor sleeps is looking out for me.
Life sometimes forces us to be like Abraham who went out “not knowing . . .”(Hebrews 11:8). For some, this is exhilarating. For others, it’s daunting. I fall somewhere between these extremes, with a natural lean toward daunting, which is why I find Psalms 32:8 so encouraging.
No matter what you are facing—or might face in the future—you can rest assured that God is guiding you along the best pathway for your life.
