Follow the Yellow Brick Road

“Tough times do something in our hearts that joy and prosperity cannot do,
they compel us to trust in the Lord. Every season has purpose.”
Brian Houston, For This You Were Born

This is not always what we want to hear but it is true none the less. I know in my life it is in the darkest most difficult times that I lean on God the most. I pray more, I read my Bible more I am in church every time the doors are open. Hoping that doing more will change my situation.

If only it were that easy. If only doing more actually changed our current circumstances, sure I can get a second job to pay off our credit cards, I can spend more time with my husband in kids in hopes of becoming a better wife and mother. The question still remains though, will things actually get better? Is having confidence in my ability to do more actually going to make a difference?

For years now I have been teaching and studying on self confidence. I have equated not being insecure to having a serious amount of self confidence. However, revelation has hit me yet again. If I have confidence in myself I am limited to only the things I can do and only the circumstances that my life can affect. If, however, I become God confident the possibilities are endless.

I love the quote above, when tough times get hard we are compelled to trust in the Lord, why? Because we have no other option! Tough times leave us without anything left to do, nothing left to try and no where else to turn. These are they types of situations you can’t do a thing about. For instance, as I have previously written about, I can not do a thing to sell my house in Rockford, IL. What can I do? I have no money to put into it, I can not force some unsuspecting person to buy a home in the middle of Rockford. It doesn’t matter if I am self confident about the sale of our home, I, myself can’t do a dang thing.

There are things I know God has promised, I can not do anything to hurry along those promises. I can pray for healing for people I know but I can’t actually heal anyone. Until I recognize a confidence in God and start developing that character trait I am not going to get very far. I will instead become frustrated and angry, spinning my wheels to make something happen in and of myself. This lesson I have been learning over the past few weeks, God is above it all, he sees the big picture.

Think with me for a second of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy knows she needs to get to the great and powerful Oz at the Emerald City. She knows only that she must follow the yellow brick road. She does not see and couldn’t possibly anticipate all the tests and trials she will encounter on her path to see the Wizard.

God however has a higher perspective. Picture Him perched above the yellow brick road; he sees the lion, the scarecrow and the tin man. He sees the trees who are throwing apples; he sees the wheat field where they will fall asleep. He even sees the creepy and terrifying flying monkies. God is above it all, he even sees behind the curtain.

Nothing is a surprise to God.

Just like Dorothy so often we know only where to begin. We can only follow the path that is laid out before us and be confident in God’s ability to see ahead. A little thing known as faith, having faith in yourself is great, but it will only get you so far. By having faith in God you will be able to reach the destination he sees for you no matter what obstacles arise.

It is in the hardest, darkest scariest moments of your life that he sees what’s up ahead. Have faith in God, God confidence that He will get you through. Maybe you are in a difficult season of life right now; let me encourage you to have faith, to believe the God has got it under control!

Psalm 121 (message)
1-2 I look up to the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
Guardian will never doze or sleep.
5-6 God’s your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.
7-8 God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always.