Deuteronomy 31:8 – Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. (NLT)

We knew that when God leads, we had nothing to fear.

My wife and I were shocked when our landlords delivered the news. When we had initially rented from them, they assured us that they wanted long-term tenants. Our unit and a neighbour's would provide retirement income for them. We welcomed the news. After all, we wanted long-term landlords. We were tired of moving and wanted to settle into the same place until I retired … and died.

But when the time came to renew our lease, we got two pieces of bad news. First, they planned to increase our rent by $250, and second, they planned to sell the unit if we couldn't afford the rent — and maybe even if we could.

In our state of uncertainty, my wife and I looked for a place to stay. A home became available beside my mom and stepdad, which was perfect since neither of them could drive, and we cared for them. But we couldn't afford the rent.

Months passed as our uncertain deadline loomed. Would we still have a place to stay at the end of the year? We didn't know. Then, out of the blue, the owners of the home beside my parents texted us, saying that they would rent to us for what our current rent would be — and we could keep our fur babies. We jumped at the offer.

Our neighbour and good friend received the same unfortunate news as we had, putting her in a predicament. She was already retired and had only Social Security to live on. We felt sorry for her. My wife helped her to look for a new place, and within a week, our neighbour had located a new condo near our new rental home — one with more affordable rent.

Both of us knew that God had gone before us. We trusted Him to mend our situation, and He did — just as He had for the children of Israel in today's verse. For four hundred years, they struggled in Egyptian slavery, but God delivered them, went before them, and brought them into the Promised Land.

God is able to do the same for all His children. He knows our needs, and He can see the future that we haven't lived in yet. He has plans for us, and they are good. He will even take the not-so-good stuff and work it for our good and His glory.

We didn't fear our future or worry about where we would live. God tells us not to be anxious and not to worry about tomorrow, and our experience teaches us that He is faithful to His promises.

We love our current home. We have more space inside and a large backyard where our grandboys can play. When God leads, He will always take us to a spacious place where the waters of life run peacefully — just like the winding creek that prances behind our backyard fence.

How can you learn to depend on God's leading — always?

Prayer: Father, give us faith to trust that You are always leading us to a better place. Amen.

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About the author:

Martin Wiles <mandmwiles@gmail.com>
Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
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