Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. (Psalm 139:4-5, HCSB)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from our military son, it’s the art of preparation. Even growing up, he liked to be prepared for contingencies. Sometimes it seemed that instead of the usual childish question of why, he preferred to ask “what if.”
I have to confess that he gets it from me. I love knowing I’m prepared, no matter what might happen. But our preparation is only a partial covering. We can’t really know what’s going to happen next, no matter how hard we try.
The military is all about being prepared. Those in command provide the training necessary for the troops to perform the duties under the most difficult of circumstances. They ensure the men and women serving have tools and equipment suited to the tasks they must perform. Even then, their preparation isn’t complete. No man or woman can know every possible “what if.”
But God is perfect in His preparation for us. He begins before we’re even born. He gives us the exact right personality traits to ensure we have what we need to follow the path He’s ordained. He surrounds us with the people we need before we even know we need them. And He gives us His Spirit to walk with us and guide us on our journey.
Our preparation is partial, but God’s is perfect. Even when those we love are in difficult circumstances, we can rest knowing that God has already seen what’s coming. He’s already put into place everything they need. Most of all, He doesn’t leave them to go through it alone. We can rest assured that He’s walking with them, covering them with His love.
