Spending Thousands on Candy

For me, choosing a college was sort of like trying to pick out one piece of candy at a candy store.  One very, very expensive piece of candy.  With so many good choices and options available, it was hard to eventually settle on one.  In fact, at the beginning of senior year, it was a source of much frustration for me.

It was during this time of struggle that my friend conveyed to me words of wisdom which had once been given to him that changed my perspective on God.  He said, "Our God is not a god who will give you a destination and then wait for you there; He is a god who will walk the path with you."

Up until that point, I had always seen God as my master and teacher, which is certainly a facet of His character, but not His only role in our lives.  Viewing Him this way creates an issue with our faith, one where we have difficulty seeing God as personable and loving.  Paul wrote in Romans 8, "You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.  Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.  Now we call him, 'Abba, Father.'"

No college I chose would have resulted in the following response from God: "Oops!  Wrong choice, Jessica.  So sorry, but this wasn't a part of my plan.  You're on your own now."  I believe it is certainly true that we should consult God when faced with difficult decisions.  I also believe that sin separates us from God.  I do not, however, believe that you can ever make a decision that will force God to abandon You.

When God promised the Israelites a land of their own, he did not give them the coordinates and say, "See you there!"  Instead, He led them the entire way there, traveling with them as they went.  Even when they disobeyed Him, worshiped idols, or were angry at Him, He continued to stay with them.

As we travel through the storms and deserts of this life, we must remember that we are never alone.  God is not the "big man" we will meet at the end of our road, He is the one who walks beside us when we feel most abandoned.  Though we may one day walk through the shadow of the valley of death, we need not fear evil.  We do not walk alone for God, our Master, our Father, our Teacher, and our Friend is with us.