Acts 17:26-28
“From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.”- NIV
Have you ever stopped to think that God determined the time set for you and the exact place where you should live? God’s timing may not always be your timing. Or His idea for where you will live may not be your idea of where you will live.
I had a very difficult pregnancy. I was sick the entire time and ended up with a whole host of complications near the end. My daughter was finally delivered via c-section.
It occurred to me that had she and I lived in another time, neither of us would be here. Before the 19th century, c-section success rates were low. By success rate, I mean mother and child survival rate. A c-section continued to be considered a high risk surgery into the 20th century. Today, they are much more common but I thank God that he placed me and my baby in this world at a time when medical advances had been made. He determined the time set for us.
Just after my daughter was born, we moved from the place where I grew up. It was tremendously difficult for me to leave my family, even though we only moved about 90 miles away. It is still very hard because we just don’t get to see each other very often.
However, we just happen to be in one of the best places in the world for healthcare. People fly in from everywhere to see the doctors who practice here. So for my daughter, having such a high level of care for her diabetes and celiac is a blessing. He determined the exact place where we should live.
At the time of my c-section…and at the time when we were moving away from my family, I was not able to see how it would all work out for the best. I could only see what was directly in front of me. I was afraid.
This morning I took my daughter to school. We drive almost twenty miles to take her to a school that we just love. Although it was not the reason we chose the school, it turns out they are one of the only- if not the only- school that has a full time nurse. God led us directly to the school because he knew we would need that nurse. But so far, he has chosen not to move us closer. So we drive the twenty miles.
This morning the traffic was terrible. Again. What should take us twenty five minutes took us forty five minutes. This has been a trend lately, mostly on the days when I drive her (versus my husband). Anyway, I was aggravated and annoyed to say the least. I kept reminding myself to stay quiet so not to pass along my negativity about the situation to my daughter. But living so far away from her school is excruciating at times.
God picked the exact place where we should live. That verse doesn’t say God picked the vicinity. Nope. He picked the exact place. My house. My street. My town. He picked it.
Although we have entertained the idea of moving, we have diligently prayed about it and feel strongly that God wants us to stay put- at least for now. Maybe it is because we have several neighbors who do not believe in God. Perhaps he placed us in a position to somehow illustrate who He is by how we live with diabetes.
Or perhaps economic disaster is on the horizon and God is trying to save us from a financial mistake by moving to a bigger, more expensive house. Whatever the reason, things are very clear to me that for now, we live exactly where He wants us to live. Who am I to complain and think I know better? He can see more than I can see. He has a plan and I know it is good. Again, I just have to trust Him.
What about you? Are you someone who only trusts him when his plan aligns with yours?
Maybe you are on the verge of losing your home to foreclosure. Perhaps you are stretched too thin in a mortgage with a variable rate that is likely to increase. Is this the place where God would have you live?
Maybe you are the one person in your family or in your peer group, who feels this longing to find God but to do so, would risk rejection. Is this your time to step out and seek him?
Maybe you are stuck in a job that you hate but to quit would mean you may not be able to afford your current lifestyle. Is this the time set for you to find your purpose?
Maybe you feel a longing to move to another country for a mission opportunity but to do so may completely turn your family upside down.
Maybe you desperately want to have a baby but God is telling you this is just not the right time.
Maybe, maybe, maybe… whatever it is, will you seek him? Perhaps reach out for him? He is not far from each of us.
If we take the time to think about it, we can usually look back at times when God determined the time set for us or when God determined the exact place where we should live. Perhaps it was not our plan but we knew it was God’s plan.
He has given us the freedom to choose our own paths. When we seek him and obey him, blessing is there.
Trust him. For in him we live and move and have our being.
I am not saying things will always be easy or clear. There may be times when we just don’t know what God wants for us. There may be times when our lives just don’t make sense. It’s okay to ask Him questions. He loves our questions. And it’s okay to have doubts. Your answer will come as you seek with all of your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. NIV
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