Sent Out or Set Up?
This morning, right in the middle of my FaceBook Live devotion called "Peace Out," I had this crazy thought. I was talking about Moses in reference to a scripture I'd been meditating on. One thing I've said over the last few years is that we cannot use our situations to measure God's grace. It's easy to think when everything is going bad that we missed it, we disobeyed Him, or we are just "way off." But that's not so.
Moses went to get the Children of Israel at the command of God. He also led them out of Egypt just as God had told him to. Yet Moses found himself in quite a pickle when he ran smack dab into the Red Sea. And to top it off, as if he needed a little more stress in his life, Pharoah was pressing in from behind. But his pickle of a situation didn't indicate he'd missed God at any point. His journey had only begun, but Moses was right where God wanted him to be. Actually, what I said that got my own attention was that God sent Moses out there. What?!?!??!
God sent Moses to get the Israelites. God sent the plaques. God rescued the Israelites and sent them behind Moses into the wilderness. God sent them right to the banks of the Red Sea. They hadn't missed God; they had followed Him there. Why would God do that?
Then I thought of the account in Matthew 14. Jesus sent the disciples ahead to the other side of the sea in a boat. A storm came up. Jesus effectively sent His disciples into the storm, right? Am I missing something?
I also thought of Paul and Silas in the jail cell, singing God's praises at midnight. (Pretty sure that's NOT what I'd have been doing! lol) God has sent them into ministry yet they got thrown in jail for preaching the gospel. Again, we cannot measure faith or obedience by our circumstances!
Here's where my thoughts landed, though. In each of these stories (and many more), God met the sent ones. He met Moses on the banks of the Red Sea. He met Peter and the disciples in the middle of the storm - actually walked out there to them! God met Paul and Silas in the jail cell. It's likely that He will meet the caregiver in the middle of the muddied days and nights of caregiving too.
We didn't do anything "wrong" to find our lives wrapped up in caring for another. We didn't miss God. He actually set us up so He could meet us in our "right here."
Today, I will see my caregiver's cave as a place where God wants and plans to meet me. I'll remind myself that God is not afraid of my caregiving lifestyle. My doubts, fears, and tears are not enough to keep Him away. My thoughts will be on how He plans on meeting me right here. So, I will wait for Him. Will you join me in the waiting today?
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