Epiphany. January 6.
The Christmas season on the Church calendar always finishes with Epiphany commemorating the Wise Men who followed the star to Bethlehem and discovered the young Messiah.
How did those men know the star was important? Maybe God told them. Maybe they had studied the writings of that ancient Jewish prophet Daniel who had lived in Babylon and Susa, the capital of Persia. Regardless, those sages were wise enough to know the star was important to all of mankind, even if they didn’t understand the whole story. So, a group of learned men acted on what they knew and left what they didn’t know with a God who could see far beyond all of their wisdom put together .
How many times has God challenged me to follow his lead?
Do I wait until I fully understand the situation before I take a step of obedience? I hope not!
God constantly reveals to us the first step in the direction He wants us to go, but He rarely maps out the entire journey. When I look back on almost half a century with Jesus, I see His instructions for the first step of many a journey. Kind of like in the movie when Indiana Jones had to take a step of faith onto the invisible bridge.
My Life Example 1:
God: Speak to that difficult parent of one of your students.
Me: What do I say? The mom hates me.
God: Just go. I’ll give you the words when you get there.
He did! It worked out well for parent, teacher, and child.
My Life Example 2:
God: Dedicate your children to Me and teach them of Me.
Me: Yes, I dedicate them to You. Now—how do I teach them?
God: Keep listening to Me. Remain faithful and obedient.
I did, usually. Sometimes, it felt like three steps forward and two steps back in my ability to obey, but forty-six years later all of my children serve Christ.
My Life Example 3:
God: I will lead you out of this dark time. Hold My hand.
Me (Hanging on for dear life): Where are we going?
God: Just hold my hand.
I did. I followed His Light ahead of me, one step at a time, and He led me forward to deeper Joy.
You can see with just three examples that I had the choice–
To obey or to whine or to give up.
I couldn’t see the whole picture. God did not set a complete map before me.
Those situations and more became a habit of trust. It didn’t matter whether I had embarked on a new adventure like motherhood, or if I’d been battered by life. God showed me a first step. I chose to obey and take that first step. I was wise enough to know He was in control, and it was okay if I wasn’t wise enough to be master of my own life. He carried me forward.
Here’s what I’ve learned because I’ve been wise enough to know that I’m not wise enough.
Life isn’t always good.
How can it be? This is a fallen world, and even when we renounce our sin-nature and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, the world remains in Satan’s doomed clutches.
Pray and trust God.
He will take care of His children in this imperfect world. (Psalm 91)
Ask Jesus for help when I don’t know the next step.
I may not be wise enough to figure out the best path for myself, but I am wise enough to know who has the answer I need.
Pray for confirmation when I receive an answer from Him.
God doesn’t mind that kind of request when I just want to make sure I’m hearing from Him and not listening to my own wishful thinking. He knows I don’t doubt His wisdom. I doubt my own.
If you’ve felt guilty for questioning God’s direction, ask yourself this key question:
Am I doubting God, or am I doubting me?
If you realize you’re not wise enough to understand God’s ways, be encouraged. You are wise enough to know you’re not wise enough. And God is pleased!
