When It Is Beyond Our Reach

Having a husband who is 6’5” tall can be very advantageous. Whenever we are at a store and the item that I desire is on a top shelf, out of my reach, all I have to do is ask him to get it for me. We are frequently stopped by others, particularly women, who request his help with items that are too high for them to reach.

At home I am not always happy with his ability to reach so high. Because he can easily retrieve an item from on top of the cabinets, he routinely places items up there. This is not so bad if they are items that he primarily uses. But when it comes to my kitchen, this can be a cause for concern. David has placed certain pans and containers on top of my upper cabinets. If he is not home when I want to use one of these, I can become frustrated. If I can wait until he arrives home, that is by far the easiest. But if I truly have need for one of these pans (or am just impatient) I have to find a way to climb up to reach it. This can be time-consuming and dangerous if I don’t use a proper stepstool rather than a chair or climbing on the counter.

Sometimes we can find ourselves serving God as we best know how. We believe that we know the next step in the plan, but it appears that something we need has been placed high out of our reach. When we reach this junction, we have a choice to make. We can exert ourselves trying to make things work out on our own. Or we can stay connected to the Holy Spirit and wait until He provides everything we need to continue serving Him.

Any work that is truly from God will require that we trust in Him. “But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].” (Hebrews 11:6 AMP) He knows everything that we need and just when we will need it. We are to wait patiently for his provision to arrive. “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear.” (Isaiah 59:1 AMP) He can reach anything that we need far more easily than my husband can reach the top shelf.

When attempting to reach items on the top shelf, I risk hurting myself not only by being unsteady in the climb but also by pulling down other items that I was not ready for. The pan that I’m reaching for may have something else perched in a way that it will come crashing down when I pull on the pan. With limited vision I am not aware of the trouble that my actions will cause. The view from beneath is not always clear.

God views things from above where the picture is clear and complete. The path that God plans for us is perfect in every way. He knows that only the destination but every step along the way. To a people who had forgotten His mighty works, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah. “Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose.” (Isaiah 46:10 AMP) God knows exactly what we need to perform His works.

We are to wait for the Holy Spirit to bring about the provision that we need. We have a promise that the Lord will answer us when we wait patiently for Him to move.  “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1 AMP) Instead of exhausting ourselves by trying to work things out on our own, waiting for God will bring strength. “But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Isaiah 40:31 AMP) We need not fear that He will not come through every time we need Him. “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” (Philippians 1:6 AMP) He is both powerful and faithful.

So, whatever area you may be struggling in today, allow the Holy Spirit to bring about the next step. He will do it with ease which is so much easier than trying to do it yourself.

(Note: I struggled with going my own direction in this post. I had to wait longer than usual to hear clearly from