Safeguarding your inheritance

Since arriving in Hawaii last week, I've been meditating my way through the Old Testament book of psalms during my daily times of Bible reading. Right away in the second psalm is a verse that meant a lot to me during the 1980s and 1990s - the part where God says, "Ask of me, and I will give you nations for your inheritance." Those were decades where I was discovering that my life calling was international; that I was called "to the nations" and not just to one particular place of missionary service. So it wasn't too disconcerting when my life's journey led me to move from France to Austria, down to Africa for many years, and more recently to settle in Spain. I understood that I was called to a specific people group (the children and youth of this generation, and the leaders who serve them), a people group that exists in every nation of the world.

I've not travelled nearly as much as some other missionaries I know, but I have done my fair share of travelling to different parts of the world, either for the purpose of teaching in training courses or for taking young people on outreach. Travel always involves financial faith challenges, but there has been a sense of God's provision in confirmation of His calling me to the nations.

Over the past decade, as I've increasingly faced some health challenges and been aware of physical limitations, it's sometimes raised some questions about the wisdom of international travel. As a result of my arthritis, I find that long haul travel leaves me with increased pain and stiffness for a few days. More recently, I've discovered that the intense air conditioning in the plane often leaves me with a bout of bronchitis or pneumonia. It's made me weigh up every speaking invitation or outreach opportunity, asking myself, "Is it wise for me to make this trip? Will I be physically able to go on this outreach?"

Legitimate questions, no doubt, and yet they need to be balanced with our commitment to faith and obedience. If the Lord wants to give me the nations as my inheritance, surely I'm in danger of missing out on that, if I allow my own limitations to make me hesitate to travel. So I was encouraged this morning, when reading in Psalm 16, verses 5 - 6: Lord, You are my inheritance, and you make my portion secure. I can trust that even my own limitations are not going to rob me of the ministry or the fruitfulness that God has purposed for my life. Part of the key lies in my being able to make wise decisions, as it says in verse 7: I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.

And perhaps the best promise of all is in verse 8: I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken for He is right beside me. 

What inheritance does God have for your life? And what personal limitations are threatening to steal that away from you? Whether it's your circumstances, your lack of finances, or some personal limitation, challenge, or weakness, none of those things will prevail as long as we remain in God's presence and draw daily on His wisdom for our lives.