Finding where We Don’t Belong
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“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths” (Psalm 25:4, NIV)
Have you ever played the game of Sudoku? It’s a logic puzzle that asks you to place the numbers 1 – 9 in each column and box without repeating any number. It’s challenging, intriguing and rewarding all at the same time. The funny thing is that in order to find out where the numbers belong, you must first determine where they don’t belong. Then and only then do you find the correct answers.
Sometimes I think God works with us like that as well. We ask him for guidance, but then it seems like we get a bunch of “no – that’s not it” answers. God understands that we are just human enough that it takes something like closing a few doors to nudge us out of our comfort zone. He has to close them to force us to take a different step, to bring us out into the open where the only choice we have is to depend on Him, and Him alone.
I can’t help but think that God is playing this game of Sudoku with us as he is creating our future. I jokingly told my boss the other day that I had given him a “two year notice,” because we believed we were getting transferred to another state (for my husband’s job with Ford) for the past two years.
For the first year, we thought we were headed to Louisville. Then there were a few months of Chicago rumors, which even led us to take a trip up there to search for housing. Then there was Kansas City, and now Dearborn, Michigan. All of these locations have one thing in common. They are far away from everyone and every thing we have known and loved for our entire lives.
So what does this mean for us?
It means that as God is gently showing us where we don’t belong, He is also preparing us for whatever comes next. And little by little, step by step, as one door after another is closing, God is slowly leading us out into the open, where we have no choice but to depend on Him, and Him alone.
And I’m okay with that.
I suspect that it will be challenging, intriguing and rewarding all at the same time. I want to live in the truth of Psalm 25:4, “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths.”
Dear God, we want nothing apart from your plan for our lives. Please reveal that to us clearly, and put obstacles in our path if that path is not from you. Show us where we belong, even if it means you must first show us where we do not. We lay our future in your hands.
Questions: Why do you suppose it is that sometimes God shows us where He does not want us to go before showing us where He wants us to go? How do you respond to that?
About the author Janet Morris Grimes
Tags: belong, challenging, comfort zone, depend, future, intriguing, Janet Morris Grimes, obstacles, preparing, rewarding, Sudoku
15 Responses to “Finding where We Don’t Belong”
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What Do You Fear?
What do you fear, and why? Is it holding you back from realizing your full potential?
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Personally, I don’t know any other way to learn, than to learn patience. So when something doesn’t go my way, it’s because it was ‘my’ way, not His. I’ve lapsed in thinking that I’m in control when I know where that type of thinking got me before Christ (in my life). So if God is telling me to ‘hold up’ and I don’t listen, then it’s gonna hurt when I find out the hard way.
How do I respond to that? With humility and gratitude.
Gosh, I’m amazed at by the different circumstances yet the commonality as His Children who are seeking to hear from our Heavenly Father and willing to do His will …. even when we have to sit in uncertainty waiting until He chooses to speak, lead and guide. I have prayed for all of us as I receive the different comments on my computer.
May everyone be blessed by His presence bringing his peace, mercy and grace into each of our situations; May He speak clearly and specifically as well and may we lean into Him learning a deeper walk of trust as we wait.. In Jesus name I pray .. Amen
[even when my type A gungo ho personality, that was given to me by HIM....???? lol.....wants to jump ahead and solve it all by my human will and might] What a mess that could end up becoming eh? Back to waiting and knowing that HE is in control and He simply calls me to obedience as He leads. Hallelujah for HIS wonderful Lordship in our lives
This devotional really hit home because my husband and I have been going through a very similar situation for the past 1 1/2 years. His company is going to be sold, and they have been working toward that. It’s getting close to the end now, and we have no idea if he will have a job or where it will be when this is all over. We’ve been very blessed to be living in a wonderful small town for 18 years now, and it scares us to death to think about having to move someplace bigger. At the same time, our eyes have been opened to some of the negative aspects of living here, so we’ve developed a sort of excitement about leaving. We’re very torn as to what God wants for us, and patience is difficult when we don’t know what our future holds. We have 4 children who will be effected by this as well, and we just want answers NOW! It’s so hard to just trust God and sit back and relax. I’m a doer and a planner, and I’m stuggling so much with the unknowns. Thanks for sharing because it helps me refocus on trusting God with our future!
I am almost 29 years old and my twenties have been the most rocky and uneasy time in my life. I feel ashamed that I still have not found a place to call home, calling or career. I am in dead end job and living with my family which is the hardest for me. I always pray to God about where I can call home because living in New York City is so unbearable. Sometimes I feel like God is just showing where I do not belong and will show where I do belong with more time. I am hoping it is before 30.
Susan…. your response hit the NAIL right on the HEAD; IF we KNOW we are in a circumstance/place because He’s arranged it then, as you say, if things get bumpy we can trust Him w/that too and no second guessing and what if’s….brilliant. thank you.
I think God shows us where NOT to sometimes so we don’t ask the question, “what if we were suppose to be…” later on. Even when we end up where we are suppose, to doesn’t mean that it will be easy, but when you know God wants you there, He gives the strength to accomplish what He wants us to.
I just want to thank God for each one of you. I just come here to read the responses to the devotionals withouth making any comments and this is my first time. Your comments have encouraged and uplifted my soul. Yes, although sometimes we do not understand the why’s in our lives, He assures us through His word that all things work together for our good.
My husband and I have been going through a place similiar to what you have mentioned. We have been pastors of small churches for about 20 years. The past 17 years we have been a volunteer pastor to a prison. We have also done fill in ministry on native reservations particularly one. We have developed a real closeness with these people. They have become our friends. We had felt for some time that when the former pastor would retire that God was directing us to put our name in to be considered as the pastor. The pastor retired and we submitted our name. We never dreamed that someone else who really was not known real well on the reservation would submit their name. This has been a hard place for us to know and realize that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. After being available to the people for almost 20 years it has been hard to understand. We don’t always know what tomorrow brings, but we know who holds tomorrow. God knows more about the in and outs of our lives and HE is our captain as we travel lifes seas.
Great reading the responses today and hearing godly wisdom and encouraegment coming from everyone of us in our sharing. Arlette it was encouraging to read ‘we could go w/a glad heart anywehere He want us to be.’…..this is not always very easy is it ladies?
And yet the common thread in our responses IS that this is our heart’s desire. ;-)
I am in a job which everyday seems to shout ” You don’t belong…”. Yet I am caught like many others with finacial committments which do not allow me to walk off the job. I am reminded of the phrase in Phillipians’All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household’ Imagine working as a saint in Caesar’s household’?! It brings me some comfort that sometimes God has us in usual/difficult places for His glory…
I really struggle with taking the path that He would want for me. Recently a job that I have been waiting for has or will soon be available. However, I have discovered that one of the work days is on Sunday from the early am to late afternoon. This means that I would not be able to go to my church on Sundays. I cannot imagine not having that time in my life to learn, to recharge, to feel His love and forgiveness with my family and to take communion. Another part of me thinks it would be madness to turn down the oppertunity that I have waited for all this time.I have been without work for 9 months now but, by His grace, my husband’s job is doing well and we are doing fine without me working. I admit that there is a part of me that does not really want to go back into a job and I have worked myself into a twist trying to figure out what is what. I have had some really awful job experiences and I thank Him so much that I was set free of them although I did not see it that way at the time. I pray for all of us that we would know His will for us and that we would go with a glad heart anywhere He wants us to be. Thank you, again, for a devotional that touches me and, I hope, many others. Thank you Lord for knowing us and, despite all the wrong turns we make, loving us so dearly.
I continue to be amazed by God clearly saying no to my requests. By doing so, he is leading me down a path I never really thought we would travel together. I dreamed of being a writer for years, but it was a lofty, in the back of my mind sort of thing that I never focused much energy on actually pursuing. As I continued to search for jobs, he gently said “No.” and pushed me further toward my dream. He is not allowing me to take the easy way out, nor will he allow me to waste my efforts any longer in a race I don’t belong in. He finally has me where he wants me. Way out of my comfort zone, but so much closer to where I actually belong. Trust him. Sometimes he has to keep saying “no” until we finally say “yes.”
Thank you so much for reading, and commenting. Praying for each of you.
I appreciate the article today because I just recently had a door closed that I thought would be a perfect job for me. I have been out of work over 9 months. After getting over the disappointment, I quickly realized that this was a step of deeper trust in my relationship with the Lord. I would need to trust His provision to be the best for me and my situation and I need to trust His wisdom over my life. Once I released this to Him I felt more free and joyful even though my circumstances haven’t changed.
Robin, we’ve been here too so I’m wondering if indeed this is a common occurance in most of our Christian walks as the author suggests? It reminds me of ‘No, is an answer,’ and yup of preparation time to change in our lives; and recognition of what IT is when we find it/He leads us to it. Looking forward to other comments.
This is a great article and is what is in my own heart today. God is SO good and He does move us on and and at times, show us things that aren’t for us before things that are. I have been there myself a dozen times over. He has let me hit rock hard places as I’ve gone on in my own strength, trying to find my way. It’s always been that as soon as I’m ready to turn to Him, He shows me how I don’t belong there and leads me on to follow Him OUT! :)