I got off the call reeling and in shock from the news I’d just been given. A number of different feelings coursed through me, leaving me overwhelmed and bewildered. On a day that had started super early thanks to poor sleep and the overactive mind that comes with the pressure of a looming deadline, I was already low on energy and didn’t have the bandwidth to process the news and their potentially far-reaching consequences. But yet, these questions reverberated loudly in my mind: “What am I meant to do now? What does this mean for my future?”
It was the latest in a series of resignations at my workplace but this time, it was my direct boss.
Until then, I hadn’t realised how much her years of expertise and willingness to listen and mentor had been a source of reassurance and support to me. I had only been there for 3 months and was very much still finding my feet in my new role. I had so much to learn and she had provided a space where together with my peers, I could be myself, ask for help, share ideas and grow. But now she would be gone in a few short weeks leaving behind a gap that was much more than just a job title.
In a season where so many things were changing, all the apprehensions I’d had about re-entering this particular field (after almost 5 years away) came flooding back and I wondered if I had done the right thing.
I woke up the next day and turned to the only Person I knew who was surely not caught by surprise by the turn of events. God and His word. The YouVersion scripture for the day was Psalm 23:1 and a soothing balm to my frayed nerves.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing”
Within a few minutes of the devotion, I was reminded of this foundational truth: He loves me and he knows where I’m going.
The Lord reminded me that my faith was not in man and I hadn’t take the job on the assurance of man’s unchanging nature but on God’s word and an intimate knowledge of His unchanging faithfulness.
2 Tim 2:13 says,
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself”
God led the Israelites by way of the Red Sea when there was a much shorter alternative.
Exodus 14:17-18, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea”
God knew what they didn’t – the shorter route would have brought them face to face with the Philistines and He knew His people were not ready for war. At the first sign of trouble they would want to run back to the comfort of Egypt.
He loves me and He knows where I’m going. The Shepherd knows and provides for the needs of His sheep; those animals who are frequently described as dangerously unaware of their needs and limitations. Sound familiar? I can certainly relate. Whilst I’m still trying to figure things out, the Lord already knows the end from the beginning (Isa 46:10). We often have predefined ideas of how we expect our lives to go and when things don’t go according to our plans, it’s easy to fall into worry and anxiety. We (I) are quick to forget that God rules in the affairs of men (Dan 4:17) and chooses to achieve His purpose in ways we don’t always understand.
Isaiah 46:10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’
Regardless of the uncertainties that may loom ahead, of this truth we can be assured: He loves us and He knows where we are going.