Frequently when we are going out to eat, my husband will ask me if there’s anything I want. Most of the time I tell him that I have no particular preference, and that is truly the case. Until he tells me where he’s thinking of going. More often that I would like to admit, his declaration will demonstrate to me that I do have a preference – and that preference is distinctly different from where he’s heading.
While this tendency is likely frustrating to my husband, I fear that too often, I might have the same proclivity with God. I talk a good game about trusting Him and His timing, but when His plan begins to unfold, I want to use my powers of persuasion to change His mind. I say that the decision is up to Him, but when He leads me down a certain path, I want to take the steering wheel of my life and go a different way. Intellectually I know that what He desires will win out and that in fighting against His will I am only costing myself, but in my heart I sometimes still act as if my preferences should carry the day.
While this temptation may be relatable, I wish instead that I was more like Joab, the commander of David’s army. When Joab and his men were caught between two seemingly impossible foes, he left his future solely in the hands of God. After giving instructions, he simply stated “may the Lord do what seems good to him” (I Chron. 19:13b). He didn’t agonize over the outcome; he didn’t bargain for his preference. He knew that God was faithful and that God was going to act in a way that was in keeping with His divine plan. Whether that meant victory or defeat was seemingly inconsequential; instead what mattered was that God’s goodness could be trusted. Joab knew that Israel may have lost that battle, but he also knew that the promises of God were true. Whatever happened in that day would not change the fact that God’s kindness would be evident in the nation’s future.
As much as this was true for Joab and his men, it is true for those who are God’s children today. We may not know the details of what the future holds, but we know that God is good and that His good plans will not be hindered. When we aren’t sure whether things will go “our” way, we can trust that ultimately they will go His. Because of this, we need not fear but can instead join with Joab in saying “may the Lord do what seems good to him.”
