Today, my guest blogger is Kevin Graves, founder and director of Target Ministries in China. I found this extremely challenging and helpful. I trust you will as well.
“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5
Most us of read and therefore understand the essential meaning of this text wrongly. When I live in Boston and I decide I am going to drive to Dallas my way is decided. Whether I travel by I-95 or I-88 is a detail which does not affect my destination. Whether or not I spend the night with my aunt in Hot Springs, Arkansas may be important, but still does not affect my destination. Whether I rent an RV or drive a Toyota Camry affects my comfort level and gas expense, but it does not affect my destination.
When I “commit my way” unto the Lord, I am saying that the destination issue is settled. I will get there. Speed, stops, and comforts are “ways”, not “way”. Committing means that I surrender my right to determine the destination and the details. David may have had his experience of being anointed king of Israel in mind when he penned this Psalm. What do I mean?
David was anointed as king while he was still a shepherd in his father’s house, and a young man. His “destination” determined, he committed his way to the Lord. Whether spears were being thrown at him, or there were giants, or the foreskins of 200 Philistines to challenge, David knew the sweet peace of trust since He who anointed him to reign was Himself committed to “bring to pass” the Word of His promise. Even if it meant David had to run and hide, or be deprived of comforts, or contact with family, for ten years, he dared not circumvent the way of the Lord. The “ways” people are in the crowd that cried out, “let me strike him at once!” The “way” person says, “the Lord will strike him” (1 Sam 26:8,9). Which one are you?
I’ve discovered those who have a “ways mentality” have to keep coming back to God to recommit at each junction. Some of these junctions are pretty straight forward, but others a tricky, completely unexpected, or just plain hard. Each one involves a battle of wills, a test of resolve, a wrestling, a weighing of the pros and cons. Beloved, life in God was never meant to be like this. You may walk differently after a hard-fought tussle with the Angel of the Lord, but you will never regret learning what it really means to commit your way to the Lord. Like Jacob, you may limp; but also like Jacob, he never mentioned or complained of his limp for the rest of his life.
Have you committed you way to the Lord?
Kevin Graves
Rev. Kevin Graves is a holder of a Bachelor of Theology and Religion from Goshen College, and a graduate of Elim Bible Institute. He has been a missionary to China with Elim Fellowship in Lima, NY since 1984.
Kevin is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese and has been a frequent speaker at churches, Bible colleges, and conferences throughout Asia and when he occasionally travels back to America. He has been a guest on Joyce Meyer’s programs, as well as on LESEA and other television networks, and has spoken at churches such as Times Square Church in New York City, Word of Life Christian Center in Honolulu, and the Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge. Kevin gave the China presentation at the Lausanne Conference on World Evangelism 2004.
Kevin has also frequently been involved in teaching and training throughout his years of ministry in China. After being involved in a number of successful church plants, Kevin and his wife Joyce established Target Ministries in 1990 in order to focus on the unreached people groups of SW China.
As the Target Ministries team has grown over the years (80 as of Aug, 2012), so has their family. Kevin and Joyce have seven children, ages 4-24.
Email: onething@cotse.net
Websites: www.targetministries.org
