Trust

I usually like to think that I am a trusting person, but when a situation comes my way where I find myself having to take a step in pitch black darkness, not really sure where my foot will land, the reality of my trusting nature, or lack thereof, is made painfully clear. It's comforting to at least know the general direction in which one is heading. I remember in college playing a game where certain people were blindfolded and the people who weren't had to direct those who were blind from point A to point B using spoken commands like "right," "left," or "straight ahead." Those who had to trust their guide with each step moved very cautiously with hands stretched out front in fear of running into something they couldn't see. It's very obvious that this blind trust does not come easily and yet it's this very kind of trust that God calls us to. Do I really fear no evil when walking in darkness through the valley of the shadow of death? If I had my own torch to light the way, of course I would not fear. But God does not call us to guide and protect ourselves. He provides His rod and staff to guide us along the way. The difficult part, for me at least, is learning to find comfort in the way He chooses to lead. I am finding that I don't naturally find His rod and staff comforting in the midst of darkness. More often than not, I think I fight against Him trying to find my own way through the valley, and then He has to go leave the other 99 sheep to rescue me once again. To trust Him is to understand my utter depravity and my inability to safely go anywhere on my own.

"There is way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" - Proverbs 14:12