Going Before Me

"I will go before you and will level the mountains; 

I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 

I will give you the treasures of darkness, 

riches stored in secret places, 

so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, 

who summons you by name."

Isaiah 45:2-3

One thing that has been on my heart a lot lately is that the Lord goes before me. If you are anything like me, this is something you know but do you really know it? Do you believe it to be true for your life? My friends, if there is one thing I can encourage you with in this post, it is this, He absolutely HAS gone before you. He is already there, working, moving, and preparing the way for you. There is no need to fear, because He holds you all in the palm of His hands. I know, I know, easier said than done. Believe me, this is something I have to constantly remind myself of. 

As you know, I am preparing to leave China sometime in the next 4 months. This is not a decision I take lightly and definitely not one made without a lot of prayer, support, and encouragement from the spiritual mentors in my life. It's just time. And even though I know that and am very excited for whatever it is the Lord has in store for me, as a human, it's easy to become terrified of the unknown. 

I would be lying if I said that I hadn't experienced that from time to time recently. However, there is also something that the Lord has filled me with. And that is peace. A peace that passes all understanding. That yes, unknowns are scary but He has gone before me. He is already there. I have been encouraged to thank Him for all that He has already done even if I don't know it yet! Thank Him for my job, my new city, Church, friends, community, car, etc. Thank Him for all these things that I KNOW He is going to provide. 

It's easy to become intimidated when I can't see very far down the path in front of me. But then again, what would trust be if I didn't need to use it?

That Lord has already been preparing the way. I have received opportunities and He has provided for things in advance. He is indeed preparing the way before me. And I am not going to fear it. I am going to embrace it. I will enjoy each day He has given me and my remaining time here in China. And know, that He who created the world, is holding me in His Everlasting Arms.

"Who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go."

Deuteronomy 1:33