He brought me forth also into a broad place. – Psalm 18:19
Have you ever realized that you didn’t know where you were going—and then start walking faster? Most of us do. However, speeding up doesn’t help. It only leads to feelings of fear as we think, “Oh, no! What am I going to do?” Instead of becoming stressed over our circumstances, we need to stop and turn to God for direction. He is the One who can guide us safely through any and every situation.
Speeding up, especially when you don’t know where you are, only leads to feeling more lost. Ask almost any man, and if he is honest, he will tell you this is true. A man often has a hard time admitting when he is lost. Even though he obviously doesn’t know where he is, when his wife asks, “Honey, where are we?” he answers, “Don’t worry. I know exactly where we’re going.”
Usually, she continues to press the issue, “Don’t you think we need to pull over and ask for directions?”
Most men, however, will stand firm. “No, don’t worry, we’ll be there soon.” The whole time, he’s sweating and praying that the road he has taken is the right one.
We laugh at stories like this, but all of us do this same thing at some point in our spiritual lives—men and women alike. Throughout the Psalms, we read about David running for his life from his enemies. At one point, he even runs from his own son who is trying to kill him. Many times, he doesn’t know what to do except to pray and ask God to protect and lead him in the right direction.
Having a sense of self-sufficiency only leads to a dead end and a lot of frustration. However, when we ask God for direction, we’re given the right road map, and we never get lost. David writes, “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:3).
Is this your prayer too?
