His Ways Are Higher

My mom says that when I was younger, rather than talking, I would just make noises. Perhaps that’s still true. So it seemed like an excellent opportunity when I heard about the possibility of joining a homeschool music band near us.

During the summer, I’d been working on a construction job at my relatives’, and they graciously invited me to eat lunches with them. So it happened that in early September, I heard that two of my cousins were going to join a music band, one to learn the French horn, and the other the flute. I’d taken piano for several years, had received some basic instruction from my dad on trombone, and had gone to a few lessons for guitar, so this perked my interest. But with a full-time job causing me to realize how precious time was, I half laid aside thoughts of joining then as mere wishful thinking. Though maybe it would work out when the construction job finished sometime in the fall.

I thought about it some more when my cousins got back from their first session, telling me how fun it was. And so that evening I mentioned to my mom the thought of joining when my job was done. She thought it was a good idea, and mentioned it to my dad. So before bedtime, my dad just said that it was fine with him if I wanted to go when my job ended, and that I should pray about it.

I didn’t have time that night, as my evenings were crammed, and I figured I had awhile to consider it, so it wasn’t a priority. The next evening I had opportunity to talk more with my dad about it, and brought up the idea of taking time off so I could start sooner. Since the practice times were in the afternoon, they wouldn’t interfere with our times as a family in the evenings, though I’d have to get time off from work. My dad again said it was fine with him, but that I should make sure to pray about it, since one could never foresee what might be the outcome. He reminded me that we each have liberty in the Lord, and though some might not be able to do that, I should just let the Lord be my Guide. But I was very busy again that evening, so I left the decision until later.

The next day I took the opportunity to ask my boss for time off if I joined the music band. Monday and Wednesday afternoons. As I expected, it was fine with him; he thought it was a sign of an intelligent mind that I was musically bent. He asked what instrument I would play. Though it would be fun, I didn’t know whether I’d have time to spend in learning a new instrument, so I said I’d probably be doing trombone. He went on his way, and I returned to my task, feeling very grateful for the good employer the Lord had given me.

That evening my mom told me that the band only accepted new players up through the end of September, so I’d have to decide soon. So I made time that night to pray about the matter.

I opened my Bible, and after reading awhile without finding anything that seemed to apply to my case, I came to 2 Chronicles 18. And I read how the true prophet told the kings not to go. When it came to me that this might be the Lord’s answer, I then and there realized how much I really did want to join the music band. I’d thought I could accept an answer either way, but I had to really consecrate then to not going. It was getting late, and I was tired, and so I asked the Lord that if this was His answer, He’d confirm it again later.

I don’t often have particularly memorable dreams, but that night I dreamed about someone who was giving up a liberty—a perfectly legitimate thing—in order to stay in the will of God. I woke up right after that. It was quite early in the morning, and I lay there thinking about it. I didn’t want to place too much confidence in a dream, but it did seem to confirm what I’d been given so far. As I was thinking, I thought about how Brother Paul prayed three times about something, and I remembered how Brother Andrew, in God’s Smuggler, related that he, remembering Paul, had prayed three times for a wife. The third time the Lord said yes, and Brother Andrew received a blessing. So I told the Lord that I didn’t want to ignore what He’d already shown me, but that I’d like one more confirmation of His will.

I knew it would take a very strong yes to counter the no I’d received twice, and I felt that the answer should come from a third party, so to speak. So I had my personal devotions that morning without trying to get an answer about the music band. I thought maybe I would get the Lord’s reply in prayer meeting that night, or maybe Sunday’s service, so I set myself to be willing to wait.

But it came sooner than expected. We gathered around the table for family devotions, and read from I Kings. Coming to the twenty-second chapter, we read part of the same story of Jehoshaphat and Ahab. And so I accepted the answer the Lord gave.

I’m thankful for the Lord’s guiding hand. I don’t altogether know why He wouldn’t have me go—His ways are higher than ours. But whatever His plans are for me, in music and everything else, I know it will be for His glory, and not mine. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”* (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We don’t need to know what lies ahead on our pathway. Only the next step.

—A brother in Christ