“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; He’ll keep you on track." ~ Proverbs 3:5-6
Anxious to explore his new
surroundings, Lucas decided to push his capabilities and hike the unforgiving
Arizona desert. So hot the sands
glittered like gold, he quickly became disoriented.
Soon his muscles started cramping. Confused, nauseous, and thirsty – classic early
signs of heatstroke. He drank the last
of his water a week ago ... or was it just 5 minutes? He needed water and shelter soon or the
illness would damage vital organs, and even cause death.
As he struggled physically and mentally, he spied a crude, rustic
shack in the distance ... or merely a hallucination? Lucas walked towards it for lack of a better
option, thanking God for his good fortune.
He found it unoccupied; probably abandoned long ago.
Near the far wall, he spotted a rusty, hand water pump. Its pipe reached below timeworn floorboards;
perhaps a deep source of water, he hoped.
After pumping a few strokes with no sign of water, he felt frustrated
and exhausted.
He searched the hut for any other source of water. Incredibly, he found a full bottle of water
hidden in the corner. Just before
gulping its contents, he noticed a message hand-written over its label. “Use this water to prime the pump. Don’t forget to refill it when you’re done,”
it read.
A frightening dilemma: “Could
he trust the note? Will the antique pump
work, or will he be wasting his only chance at survival down a dry hole? Should he just drink the water and save himself,”
he wondered.
Lucas closed his eyes and prayed,
asking God to lift his burden.
With trembling hands, he poured
the bottle’s entire contents into the pump and started working it. Soon, he heard a bubbling sound and more
water than he could drink poured out.
Once revitalized, he refilled the empty bottle and returned
it to the original spot. Fate struck a
second time when he discovered a hand-written map of the region. Pulling a marker from his daysack, Lucas
scribbled his own note below the previous instructions: “Have faith. God works
and so does the pump!” And headed toward a village less than a kilometer away.
I still need reminders to choose trust over worry. It’s easy to trust God when everything is
falling in line with our own vision and plans. But trusting Him even when things don’t make
sense is hard. Very hard!
Faith’s essence is confidence in the Lord’s promises
regardless of the circumstances. He’s never surprised, confused, worried, or
oblivious. His wise and loving control brings
peace and comfort in those moments when we’re called to trust Him … even when
it doesn’t make sense.
