Go, God, Go!

Some time ago I learned from a man, who loved to sail, that Christopher Columbus had a standing order for his men during a storm. He ordered them never to turn around and look behind them but always to look ahead. The reason? The waves behind them were often very high and would tower over their boat. Apparently it was frightening enough to distract the sailors from their duty.

In Psalms 23:4 we read, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me...". Why it that passage significant? Because we are in foreign territory that is ruled by the enemy of believers in Jesus Christ. So many of us, however, are becoming too comfortable and complacent living here and not living and working for the new kingdom that Christ has already won.

Jack and I have begun to deliberately live in Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose". Do any of us really believe those words? Think about it. If we did believe that everything works for our good, would we not rejoice always?

Loss of health, "Go, God, go!" Loss of a job, "Go, God, go!" Loss of ministry opportunities, "Go, God, go!" Loss of friends, "Go, God, go!" Financial difficulties, "Go, God, go!" Things don't turn out the way we think they should, "Go, God, go!"

This past week I have been in awe at how God has been working through a difficult situation. Jack was working in a job that was so physically demanding I feared that he would collapse. Then one Friday he got fired. It devastated him and severely compromised our finances. Out of the blue came someone he never would have expected to step up and he began making phone calls to line up a job for Jack. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Jack had interviews lined up. Only one was close to home and they weren't hiring. Then nothing for the rest of the week.

That Sunday we went to church and heard a message on faith that was like soft rain in the desert. In Genesis 12, Abram was told by God to leave everything that he knew and to follow God. No destination, just pack your tent. The promise was that if Abram obeyed God, God would give him abundant blessings. Well, after the message on faith, the pastor called people, who were out of work, to the front and prayed over them. We left with the sense that something had turned.

On Monday morning Jack got a call from Colorado Springs with an offer of a job to report the next morning. Then we received a generous offer of housing for him for three weeks until we can move. Only three hours after starting work on Tuesday, we received a call from Fort Collins with another job offer. It was a boost to Jack's wounded heart but he knew that he had made the right decision. God makes it obvious, does he not, where we are to be? On Wednesday Jack learned that his new boss is a believer in Christ.

We have no idea where we will live and do not at present have the money to move. I can tell you that I am now excited to see what God will do next. All things work together for good. "Go, God, go!"