I approached a railroad
crossing on my travels. For some distance I observed a freight train passing
the road ahead. I looked off into the direction from which the train was
coming. It appeared that the train was nearly at the end. I was happy that I
would not have to wait long. It turns out I was quite mistaken. Attached to
what I had believed was the last car of the train, was approximately 30 empty flatbed
cars. Because of the height of the grass and wildflowers within my line of
vision, these low cars were not visible until they got to the road where I was
now waiting for the train to pass. Behind the chain of flatbeds was another
line of double stacked cars. The train had indeed been more than twice as long
as I had initially anticipated.
On most days I would have
traveled down this road and never paid any attention to the grasses that grow
alongside the tracks. Even when trains have been coming and going, I have been
able to see above the grass to the train cars. It was only because these
flatbed cars were so low to the ground that they were obscured from sight. Once
the final, taller set of cars came nearer, they became visible even above the
overgrown grasses.
Life, like that freight train, is moving along the
path God has set for each of us. Sometimes we have a clear vision of where we
are going we have come from. At other times circumstances cause it to appear
that things have come to an end. There is no visible evidence of anything left
to come beyond what we can see. Although it appears the end is near, this is
not always true. Beyond the line of vision is something yet to come.
God does not never stops working in our lives. Even
when we can see little or no evidence of his hand, He is still working on our
behalf. King
David understood this. “Behold, He who
keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:4 AMP) God is ever ready to help and guide each one of us. Jesus
spoke of the continual work of God.
“But Jesus answered them, My Father has worked [even] until now, [He has never
ceased working; He is still working] and I, too, must be at [divine] work.”
(John 5:17 AMP)
Much of the work of God’s kingdom is done in secret. Jesus described it
this way. “And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters
seed upon the ground, And then continues sleeping and rising night and day
while the seed sprouts and grows and
increases—he knows not how. The earth produces [acting] by itself—first the
blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” (Mark
4:26-28 AMP) Inability to see something does not mean that it is not there. Our
inability to see the hand of God moving does not mean that God has withdrawn
from us in any way.
Once the train came to the end of that long line of
empty flatbed cars, the line that followed actually contained a string of double
stacked train cars. These cars were even taller than the original portion of
the train. There was greater value in each link because it carried two cargo
containers. Likewise what comes after a long, seemingly silent time in our
lives may be far better than anything we have experienced up to that point. It
may be full of greater opportunities or increased blessings. We can praise God
for His plans are far better than ours. “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence
of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out
His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our
highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]. To Him be glory in the
church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen
(so be it).”
(Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP)
That long train eventually came to an end. When God’s
purpose is fulfilled, some things in our lives may also come to an end. Change
is a part of life. We may physically move to another location or simply end one
phase of our lives and begin another. There will always be another train
coming. We can always stand on this unchangeable promise of God. “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)
Trust God in
the times when you see His work clearly and also when you cannot. Enjoy the ride
at all times.
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