How did we get here?

Have you ever wondered – how did I get here?

I am good at getting lost.  So, I often ask myself, “how did I get here?” 

Sometimes I get lost because I am not paying attention.  Sometimes I am so busy talking to whoever is with me I get distracted and miss a turn.  Sometimes I overestimate my knowledge of an area and don’t study the map or even look at it.

All those scenarios have one thing in common – I am in the “driver’s seat” either literally or figuratively – I am calling the shots and charting the course.  I am responsible for getting lost.

But what if it wasn’t my fault?  What if someone else was not paying attention or someone else got distracted or didn’t read the map and I am the one who suffers the consequences for someone else’s carelessness?  It is one thing if I get lost and it is my fault, but it is different if I get lost and it is someone else’s fault.

We are beginning a new sermon series on the book of Daniel and in this book we see Daniel in a foreign land under the authority of people who worship different gods and they encourage him to abandon his faith and his roots.  He experiences cultural and political pressure.  He is threatened and slandered and persecuted.  And through it all he trusts in God and looks to Him for wisdom and help.

Throughout life we will all experience the challenge of “getting lost.”  Sometimes it will be our fault.  Sometimes it is not our fault but inevitably we will often feel like we are in the wrong place.  It will be uncomfortable and difficult, but we will learn through the book of Daniel that God is in control and He is Sovereign over any and every place we go or find ourselves in.

May we be those who trust in the goodness of God when we are lost and when we are found.  May we look to Him when things are good and when things are bad.  May His light shine brightly through us as He gives us wisdom and favor to walk in this world.

See you Sunday,

Steven