We had our annual family camp last weekend. And just like every other one, this year’s camp had its own unique character.
I must confess that when we started on Friday night, I was feeling a little disappointed and discouraged. The room where we gathered seemed rather empty. Attendance was not as I had hoped or expected. At that point I was sort of arguing with myself that all the effort put into preparing for the camp was going to be wasted.
But God’s thoughts are not my thoughts, and his ways are not my ways. And the truth is, that’s something for which I am absolutely thankful. He had something good in store for those who were willing to let him take the lead. Submission to the will of God will always prove to be worthwhile.
Morning dawns on Saturday. I sit down for my personal morning devotion, following the prepared guide. The reading for that day was Habakkuk 3.17-19: “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains” (NET).
The Lord’s message for me was clear. I needed to take my eyes away from my expectations and desired results. Instead, I must turn my focus to the Lord. My joy is secure in the Lord, not in the fruits of my labor. The Lord himself is the strength that will see me through the challenges that can lead to frustration. The lesson to keep on trusting the Lord is one that I must learn and relearn … again and again. I simply must do what he has called and empowered me to do, and there find my joy. What happens next is in his hands.
By the camp’s end I could almost hear the Lord saying, “Well, Keith, do you now see what I was up to? Do you now see how your stressing was unnecessary?” We did meet the campsite’s attendance requirement. Yet the greater blessing was to see God at work in the campers … including me. There is no merit in worrying or complaining about perceived outcomes. God knows what he is doing. And often what needs to be done may have something to do more with me than with whatever I am able or trying to accomplish.
—Keith Y. Jainga