The best pathway for YOUR life

One of my good friends recently posted this on her blog and in reading it I felt that her words summed up the ones that I could not capture and put on page. Her prose is convicting and encouraging, I hope that you all find your hearts touched as I did!

Psalm 32:8-10

The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control."

The Lord has led me to where I am in my life with good intentions. How quickly I cry out with Israel that he must have brought me into this desert to let me die! There is no other, better plan for me. I often say I believe in a sovereign God but I whine and pout inwardly when He is displaying the trait that makes Him God in an uncomfortable way in my life. He is meticulous and wise in sifting the trials and situations in my life so as to yield the best harvest. It doesn't often look or feel that way, does it? It feels too much like a furnace or like the discomfort will rub my heart raw. The Lord keeps reminding me when I feel that tension to humble myself. Remind myself that He's trustworthy. Not to be like the senseless horse or mule the Psalm was speaking of that has to be continually trained and disciplined to follow it's Master's lead. He chafes underneath authority. The resisting actually makes the thing more difficult, the training being more painful than needed. He acts like he doesn't trust His master. He resists because he thinks he knows better the way toward what is good for him.

I don't have to wonder if there's a better location or situation for me to be in. This is precisely where I need to be right now. And I am here - uncomfortable as I may be - so that I will get more of Him than I had previously. There is no "good thing" out there that I need or I would have it. Isn't that freeing? To sum up, Paul Tripp says:

This is the bottom line. The good that God promises me isn't a situation, possession, position or relationship. The good that God promises me is himself. What could possibly be a better gift than this?