Wading in unknown waters can be unsettling. Sometimes we are hesitant to take a step in any direction because the water seems too murky. We all find ourselves in these unknown waters this year. As the months go by, we are learning we aren’t sure when this crisis in our world will end or where exactly we are heading. I want to encourage you today that as believers, we should not be sitting on the sidelines of life waiting to see how this thing “shakes out”. Amid our confusion, struggle, and pain, we don’t have to settle for surviving. With the Lord’s help, I believe it’s a prime time for the gospel to spread to the ends of the earth, and we can thrive in this season.
How do we wade through these murky waters and lead well as believers when we don’t know where we are going?
We can learn from the story of the children of Israel. Exodus 16:4 (ESV) says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.’” While in the wilderness, God daily provided manna for them to eat. God provided the portion they needed for that very day. They had to trust Him when they couldn’t see what was ahead. We live in a world that is accustomed to abundance and indulgence. As believers navigating this season, we can surrender our desire for excess and the need to know all the details of what lies ahead and be content with the guidance and provision the Lord gives just for today. He is our daily portion.
We also find great encouragement in Psalm 73:26 (ESV), “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” We live in a fallen world, and our flesh fails. The Lord knows our struggles and promises to be our portion. Perhaps your circumstances have you feeling defeated. Take heart! Just as God provided what the children of Israel needed for their daily allotment, He will provide what you need today. There’s enough grace, enough strength, enough love, enough peace, enough wisdom, and enough provision for you each day.
How do we pursue and take hold of the portion that is available for us?
God provided manna in the wilderness, but the children of Israel had to reach out and gather it. Our pursuit of our daily portion is much like the example of trees planted by rivers of water (Jeremiah 17:7-8). We must establish ourselves close to Jesus, our source. Over time, those roots grow deeper and deeper; even when rain is scarce, those roots find water. Living Water is in the river where we are rooted, but we need to reach for it. We can reach for our portion through the discipline of daily time in the Word of God and dedicated time set aside for prayer and fasting. Times of solitude, silence, meditation, and worship help us obtain that portion as well.
Maybe you are in a ministry role and everything has shifted, leaving you questioning what the next right step is. Perhaps you have lost a job and are under significant financial strain. Maybe you are living in fear over the pandemic and tension that exists in our world. Perhaps you are ill and in need of miraculous healing. Some of you may have suffered a great loss. In all these things, Jesus is more than enough. You can trust Him with whatever it is you need for this day. He is using this time to draw you close, to soften your heart to His, to help you see how trustworthy He is. Say yes to Him!
Even though the water is murky, and you aren’t quite sure where you are headed, it’s ok to take a step today. You don’t have to take twelve steps. Trust the Lord for the one step you need to take now. The Christian life can be filled with testimonies of peace, endurance, self-control, and grace.
Jesus, in you, is more than able to satisfy you and be your portion today and every day.
Whitney Davis currently serves as the National Director of Women's Ministries. She is a wife, mom, encourager, and visionary. She is a South Carolina girl who now calls Oklahoma home. She worked for 12 years as a Labor & Delivery and Mother/Baby nurse before transitioning to full-time ministry to women. Whitney grew up in the IPHC and her husband, Brad, has been an IPHC minister for over 20 years. They have a blended family of five children- Carmen, Evelyn, Sullivan, Ellington, and Deacon.
Whitney has a passion for helping women on the journey of becoming more like Jesus. She desires for Women’s Ministries to be the arm of the church that is uniquely positioned to equip women for the work of discipleship.
