Daily
Devotional

My family, including my father, three brothers, several uncles and cousins, and myself, had always worked in the lumber industry. My father and older brother worked green timbers; my second brother operated a molder in the planing mill; brother number three drove a straddle carrier (and was considered one of the best); one uncle worked on a dry mill sorter; and I drove a forklift stacker.

After I had held my job at the mill for over ten years, the local timber industry came into serious trouble. Timber for cutting was becoming harder and harder to find. Environmentalists wanted to save the Redwoods, and many others were upset about the huge number of lumber trucks that occupied streets and highways. Every hole in the road was blamed on the logging trucks. In response, truck drivers did a number of things, including organized protests. They would hold “park downs,” causing many cities and highways to be jammed with log trucks, sometimes for long periods of time.

It became apparent that I needed to start looking for employment in a different industry. At that point, I did what I had learned to do in the face of uncertainty: I turned to God and asked for His help and wisdom. Soon after, I was told that the local power company was hiring, but was warned that it often hired for just a six-month probation period and then laid off new workers. Despite the warning, the Lord helped me get the job, and I was able to retire from it thirty years later.  

Uncertainty is something that none of us will get away from. We simply do not know what the future holds. However, God can see what is coming ahead, and He has a plan and a purpose for us. He knows just how to guide us into safety and can give peace despite surrounding adversity. As we read in David’s prayer, if we trust in Him, we will not be ashamed. Rather, we will be conquerors, and to Him will be all the glory.