Footprints
“Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.” Psalm 77:19
When the Israelites fleeing Egypt got to the Red Sea they thought they were trapped. They didn’t see a way out. But the Red Sea would not only become the pathway to their freedom, it would also destroy their enemies. There will be times in life when what’s before us will seem like an impossible task or an insurmountable hill to climb. We will not see the footprints of God going before us. We won’t always see them looking back. But we can trust that He was there all the time. When we can’t trace His steps, we can trust His sovereignty. Although we would rather choose an easier road, the road less traveled is where God often does His best work in and through us. As Andrew Crouch sang, “If I never had any problems, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them, I wouldn’t know what faith in God could do.”
There will be times when we will wonder, “God, where are you in this? I thought you called me out of Egypt? I thought you called me to retire early to be a full time Pastor. But in the last seven years after retiring, I’ve been diagnosed with cancer twice.” It’s easy to trust God when you see His footprints, when you see Him clearly opening doors. He’s opened so many doors in my life in ways that were unquestionably the hand of God. But will we trust Him when a door closes? When there doesn’t seem to be a human solution to a problem, will we walk by faith or will we only walk by sight? Can we trust God in times of suffering or only in times of prosperity?
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead tells me that I can trust that what seems like the worst thing that could happen to me can become the best thing that could have happen when I entrust my life into the hands of a sovereign God. The cross and resurrection of Jesus tells me that I can trust God to deliver me when my back is up against a wall. When I was diagnosed with terminal cancer the second time, my dear sister Betsy sent me a card that said, “God gave you this mountain to show you that He can move it” and He did. I’ve been cancer free for over 3 years now.
When we’re walking with God according to His word not just His footprints, we can trust Him to move mountains. But even if He doesn’t deliver us, we can still trust that He knows what He’s doing—that He’s working all things for good. When we can’t understand His hands, the cross tells us that we can trust His heart. When we can’t see the footprints, we can declare as Job did, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Job 23:8-10
Blessings,
Pastor Marco
When the Israelites fleeing Egypt got to the Red Sea they thought they were trapped. They didn’t see a way out. But the Red Sea would not only become the pathway to their freedom, it would also destroy their enemies. There will be times in life when what’s before us will seem like an impossible task or an insurmountable hill to climb. We will not see the footprints of God going before us. We won’t always see them looking back. But we can trust that He was there all the time. When we can’t trace His steps, we can trust His sovereignty. Although we would rather choose an easier road, the road less traveled is where God often does His best work in and through us. As Andrew Crouch sang, “If I never had any problems, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them, I wouldn’t know what faith in God could do.”
There will be times when we will wonder, “God, where are you in this? I thought you called me out of Egypt? I thought you called me to retire early to be a full time Pastor. But in the last seven years after retiring, I’ve been diagnosed with cancer twice.” It’s easy to trust God when you see His footprints, when you see Him clearly opening doors. He’s opened so many doors in my life in ways that were unquestionably the hand of God. But will we trust Him when a door closes? When there doesn’t seem to be a human solution to a problem, will we walk by faith or will we only walk by sight? Can we trust God in times of suffering or only in times of prosperity?
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead tells me that I can trust that what seems like the worst thing that could happen to me can become the best thing that could have happen when I entrust my life into the hands of a sovereign God. The cross and resurrection of Jesus tells me that I can trust God to deliver me when my back is up against a wall. When I was diagnosed with terminal cancer the second time, my dear sister Betsy sent me a card that said, “God gave you this mountain to show you that He can move it” and He did. I’ve been cancer free for over 3 years now.
When we’re walking with God according to His word not just His footprints, we can trust Him to move mountains. But even if He doesn’t deliver us, we can still trust that He knows what He’s doing—that He’s working all things for good. When we can’t understand His hands, the cross tells us that we can trust His heart. When we can’t see the footprints, we can declare as Job did, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Job 23:8-10
Blessings,
Pastor Marco