Where the Lord Guides, He Provides

Lately, the Lord has really been nudging me, reminding me, and pricking my soul. There's a lesson to learn, one that I have to learn over and over again.

Where the Lord guides, He provides.

Sometimes God gives us a list of specific instructions. Sometimes He just points us in a specific direction, destination unknown. In I Kings, chapter 17, God tells Elijah to turn eastward and head for a brook near Jordan. There, the Lord would nourish him with water from the brook and food, which would be brought by the ravens. Elijah obeyed, and the Lord followed through on His word.

My Heavenly Father has been whispering in my ear, "Depend on me. I will provide."

Often, as homeschoolers, we wonder how we're going to do it. Maybe you feel ill-equipped. Maybe you feel overwhelmed. Maybe you're at a point of transition, and you just don't know what comes next. Maybe the Lord has recently called you to bring your children home, and you have more questions than answers.

Sometimes God has to remind me, "It's not always about you."

God dried up the brook which had nourished Elijah, then directed him to Zarephath. He told him there would be a widow who would sustain him there. He found the widow at the gate of the city where she was collecting sticks. She was preparing her final meal, as she was poor and had only enough food for only one meal for her family.

God used Elijah's previous experience at the brook to teach this widow a lesson. She followed Elijah's instruction, and she did not go hungry.

Our pastor made the point one day that God will dry up our brook, but he'll provide for us somewhere else. Sometimes he asks for us to make a change. Sometimes that change is to help someone else. Sometimes he dries up our brook, dries up our comfort zone, and prompts us to more forward. It's a reminder that we aren't suppose to depend on the things He has given us, but we are to depend on Him!

God doesn't always tell us the why, when, and how. In fact, He rarely does, but He always gives us direction, even if it's only a step at a time. When we put our faith and trust in Him, He will be glorified, and we will be able to nourish our families as God intended.

There will be people along the way who will ridicule what we're doing. They'll let us know we're sorely incapable. The truth is, alone, we are incapable, but we have the Lord, and with him, nothing is impossible.

It is so important to meet with God to allow him to speak to us (because, if you're like me, there are times when you do most of the chattering). We must make time for God, for he is the foundation on which our family is built.

There are so many choices out there when it comes to schooling, and even when it comes to homeschooling. That is why it is paramount that we depend on Him for direction and guidance. Maybe we want Him to lay out the whole lesson plan for life, but we need to be content with the daily direction He has.

One step at a time!




Mandy is a former homeschooling student who has set out to homeschool her three young munchkins in an unschooling meets discipleship method. In her column "Delightfully Discipled", she gives a glimpse into the curious minds of her children as they follow their natural instincts to explore the heights and depths of knowledge and and are led though Godly discipleship. She blogs at MandyMom.com and Noggin News.