Devotional: Let go and Let God…

In 1855, a French engineer and diplomat by the name of Vicomte Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps was traveling in the Mediterranean. A sickness had broken out on board the ship, so the ship was quarantined. This was a frustrating day for de Lesseps, who was a very active man and not used to idleness. With no choice but to wait, he sat on the deck of the ship reading and pondering engineering projects. During that time of quarantine, he came up with the idea of creating the Suez Canal, to connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, an arm of the Red Sea. At the time, it was a marvel of engineering and became an invaluable short-cut for shipping. The time on board wasn’t wasted as de Lesseps had first feared.

That is the point the Apostle Paul is making in Romans 8:28, where he says, “We know that all things work together for the good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.” God has a purpose in our setbacks. Instead of pouting that we don’t get our way… and instead of fuming because we are delayed, a faith-filled believer will instead look to God and ask, “what purpose might God have in making me wait?”

Remember, Paul reminds us that God is working HIS PURPOSE. What He has planned may not be what we have planned.

This is where submission to God’s rule in our lives comes into play. Unless we live our lives wanting to do God’s will, we will see setbacks and delays as messing up our plans. And that is where frustration begins. That is where impatience begins — and disappointment. There is real truth to the old adage that says, “Let go and Let God…”

Pastor Larry Wise

Highland Community Church

This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 8:05 AM with the headline "Devotional: Let go and Let God…."