I want to share another week of devotions inspired by Lopez Lomong's autobiography Running For My Life. You'll remember from last week that he was kidnapped by rebel soldiers as a little boy, but managed to escape and ended up in a refugee camp in Kenya.
Now Lomong is in his teens, and one day at a church service the boys are told that the Americans had offered to take some of the boys back to their country to start a new life there. The boys had to write an essay about their story, and the Americans would choose who they would rescue based on their essay.
Writing His Story, Then Trusting God with the Outcome
So Lomong, with the help of his friends, writes an essay explaining his whole story, and hands it in on the day it was due, at the camp's church service. He writes:
"The music stopped. The priest delivered his sermon. I could not listen. The bin of essays had my full and undivided attention. 'It is up to You, God,' I prayed. 'You will decide.' Yes, it was up to Him, not the Americans. God would indeed decide what was best for me. He had brought me to Kakuma with my three angels. He must have a plan for when and how I was to leave. Knowing God was in control was the only thing that allowed me to stop fixating on the bin and to go back to my tent as church ended. I knew I wrote the best essay I could possibly write. My friends and I translated it into English as best we could. I could do nothing more. The rest was up to God."
This is quite a mature view for such a young boy! He did his best and left the rest to God, knowing he could do no more himself, and that God was ultimately in control.
Do you need that message today? Is there something that you are struggling to just leave to God in faith?
Commit Your Work to the Lord
May I remind you of the great words of King Solomon, who wrote this in Proverbs 16:3: "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans."
Do the best you can. Commit it to God. Trust Him to establish your plans in the best way.
I like what Lomong said here. He said that ultimately it was up to God, not the Americans. Let's join him today in his prayer: "It is up to You, God. We trust that You will decide."
If you make that your prayer, you'll really be living by faith!
Share in the comments where God is calling you to trust Him today.
Lopez Lomong wrote the best essay he could for a chance at a new life in America, then left the outcome entirely in God's hands - consider today what you're still trying to control instead of committing to Him.