Unlikely Places to Sovereign Destinations

When we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, what do we do? What are our options really? Not every decision in life comes as a picture-perfect puzzle piece. So in those moments, we trust. We just trust that Our Father knows what we need, when we need it. 

Considering the lives of several people in the Bible, I often wonder why they had to face certain challenges. Daniel was sent to a hungry lion’s den, Joseph was sold by his brothers, Moses was sailed away by his mother to avoid getting murdered... and the list goes on. 

Of course God could’ve avoided the problem altogether. At least, the moment something less than ideal takes place in my life, that is my immediate thought process! It never had to happen this way! 
Daniel wouldn’t have needed to enter the lion’s den - problem solved, right? Joseph could’ve grown up in his father’s house as dad’s favorite - yay? And Moses could’ve grown up with his siblings and parents at home like a normal family - and they could’ve lived happily ever after? But the unlikely still took place.

When we look deeper into these stories and the lives of these characters, we realize that the trials and difficulties they underwent took them to destinations they couldn’t have reached on their own. The plans and purposes God had on their lives were nothing that could be taken away by the plans of the enemy.

God proved that He was capable of shutting the mouth of the lion for the entire night, allowing Daniel to trust God through his personal chaos! Joseph being traded into Egypt led him to be the Potiphar’s right hand man, eventually providing food and shelter for his own father and brothers! Oh, how God turned the tables around right there. Moses, as a Jew, grew up alongside Ramses, Egyptian Royalty, in the palace. He learned the ways of a king, God revealed to him his purpose - to free the Hebrew captives and take them to the promised land. So that’s exactly what he did. In all these cases, we see the hand of God at work, even in the least ideal scenarios. 

David was just a shepherd boy, his only training was with animals, and yet he killed Goliath - “the undefeatable Giant”. In fact, David was probably the least likely guy to take on Goliath from that entire battlefield, but His confidence was in God and not in himself. Another important character to mention is Queen Esther. She was just a girl minding her own business, being raised by her uncle, not dreaming of chasing a crown and changing her nation’s destiny! Yet, that was her calling and mission.

But as it is written: in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 

God’s purpose for Esther was to raise her with a heart for her nation, instill in her the courage and dignity she would carry, and to equip her to become Queen Esther in the palace. She knew her mission was a risky one, but she was also aware that so many countless lives depended on her “yes”. For her, quite literally the princess scene became a reality but she carried her authority along with responsibility. Though she was developed through unlikely places and difficult scenarios, she was taken to a sovereign destination. Not on her own might or power, but of God’s - this is what Our Father’s provision looks like!

While I write this, amazed at these heroes from the Bible, I think about the insignificant places and situations in my own life. Though life tends to hand us curveballs every now and then, I’m convinced that there is no way we can disqualify ourselves from fulfilling our callings. Instead, it is God who equips us and empowers us to achieve the plans and purposes He has set in place for us. So next time we are in that spot, between that rock and hard space, what are our options truly? 

As His Sons and Daughters, we have the freedom, rights, and privilege to carry out the Kingdom on Earth with His will set in place. This means we trust Him as hard as possible! This looks like total surrender, being at the end of ourselves, broken Alabaster jar & everything. Remember that the unlikely places we may be in now are only stepping stones into the places God wants to really take us - to do the bigger-picture things God has in store for us.

This week, let us seek God for His will again. But not just for when everything gets better, or when the “better days” finally roll around, because what if these are the better days? While the best is yet to come, we may be living in the better days now! Let us rejoice in the now. Thank Him for his perfect will in our now and more than anything, be in complete trust that He has got us!