Be Still. . .

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One day we were heading to the church where my husband teaches Sunday School.  This church is 18.77 miles -- or 27 minutes -- from our house, and we were already running late.  The first traffic light we encountered was red and stayed red. We had encountered the traffic light in the beginning of it's cycle and we sat at the intersection for about five minutes, although it seemed like fifteen.

Since we were already running late, sitting still at the light was a difficult exercise in patience.  I tried to remind us both that perhaps this delay was allowed by the Lord to save our lives.  If we had not encountered this red traffic light we might have encountered a driver traveling at dangerous speeds instead.

The traffic light gave us an opportunity to "Be still and know that I am God," (Psalm 46:10.)  There are so many instances in our lives in which we have limited information and limited understanding.  However, "Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite," (Psalm 147:5.)

I like to think of it in terms of my relationship with my grandson, Jackson.  Sometimes I will be doing something with Jackson and he will try to explain to me why we should be doing it another way.  Jackson is a very bright boy, but he has the understanding of a six-year-old, while I have the understanding of a grandmother.  My understanding is much greater than his simply because of my age and experience.   There are things I understand that Jackson will not grasp for decades.  (By then, I will probably have forgotten it all!)

In our lives, there are things we don't understand, but we can trust our Lord in the situation because His understanding is infinite.  It isn't just greater than ours, it is infinite. . .without end.  And that understanding is coupled with infinite love for us as well.  Because of this we can have perfect certainty that He is working in our lives "for good to them that love God. . . to be conformed to the image of his Son," (Romans 8:28,29.)

So when those red traffic lights occur in our lives, when those moments happen that we just don't understand, let us choose to "be still and know" He is God, His understanding is infinite, His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out (Romans 11:33.)

"As for God, His way is perfect: 

the Word of the LORD is tried: 

He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him."

Psalm 18:30