25th June 2024
I will make a way
…I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
The garden is out of control again. What used to be a vegetable garden is now filled with flowers. Most of them come up on their own wherever they choose. I like to think that God is planting them; they are his creation. We planted flowers for the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and for our own pleasure, of course. They must be deer-resistant and winter-hardy. The Bachelor Buttons have taken over, and here I am, digging through them to make paths for the water hose and our feet. I keep saying out loud ‘I am getting too old for this; I need help, Lord.’ He answers as he gives me the strength and the pleasure of the task at hand.
Often our lives seem out of control. It feels, at times, like we must fight our way through the overgrowth, the obstacles in our lives. It seems like we are fighting alone with sticks against swords. Yet, I must remind myself that I am not alone in this struggle. We are reminded of God’s promise in Hebrews 13:5-6: ‘…“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”. So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.”,,,’ God may not get down on his knees and help me with the garden right now, but he gives me what I need for each day and for each struggle. He is a trusted companion, a faithful friend.
We are reminded in Isaiah 43:18-19, that we need to dwell in the present and forget the things of the past. Live new lives. The lives God meant us to live. God will make a way in the wilderness; God will make a way when we do not see a path for our feet when we do not see hope for the future. What I saw as a hopeless task in the garden is beginning to move slowly forward. I can say the same thing with my life in God’s hands. Some of the flowers are already in bloom and the bees are busy doing what God made them to do. It is with excitement that I am looking forward to what God has given me to do, and learning about who he has made me to be.
This seems to be the journey; learning who we are in Jesus. Learning who we were, and who we should and will be. Learning to trust God for the right path set before us. No matter where we journey, we are still in God’s sight, in his hands, and directed with his love. If I make the wrong turn, he is there to set me back in the right direction again. He has not abandoned me. I can trust that God is faithful and always will be. God will make a way for us. God will always love and guide us in the right direction. And when the going gets too tough for us, he will breathe new life into us; his life; like how the waters in the wilderness bring back life abundant.
Prayer
Merciful God, we trust you for the right path in our lives. You will always be faithful and true. And so, we place ourselves into your hands, confident of your direction, confident of your love. You will complete your work within us. I look forward to the journey with you! In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Study by Anne Gillam
About the writer:
Anne Gillam is a retired Pastor in Grace Communion International, Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA.
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