Sharing Our Faith Together

When We Walk With The Lord

by Alan and Clarice Smith 17 December 2023

READ PSALM 106: 24 - 27

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

When I was working at Ferrari as an Apprentice, due to the type of work I was doing on Guided Missiles the Company told me I could be deferred from having to do National Service. This was true at the beginning, but eventually at the age of 23 I was amongst the last ones to be called up to complete their National Service.

Changes of all kinds lay ahead. I decided to try for a Short Service Commission (three and a half years) and my first posting was at Plymouth Royal Citadel. My second appointment was at Queen Victoria School in Dunblane, Scotland. The position was to teach metalwork to boys up to 15 years of age, whose fathers were members of the Services. I was also to be Chief Examiner for the Army to the Junior Engineers. I had to set the Exams and mark their results.

Suddenly I questioned the potential problems. What if I didn’t know enough? Would I be able to answer all the students’ questions? What if they realised I didn’t know everything? I was faced with a choice. Would I succumb to fear or trust the promise in Phillippians 4:13 that I can do all things with God’s help.

As I thought about my options, I remembered the Israelites who stood outside the promised land filled with fear. They didn’t believe God’s promise of success. They worried about the giants in the land. They forgot all the wonderful miracles God did to bring them out of Egypt.

I decided the best option was to trust God despite my fear and to accept the teaching offer. Despite all the unknowns, I clung to God’s promise to be with me. He gave me the strength, knowledge and perseverance to guide the classes. When we are faced with new challenges, we can remember God’s faithfulness. These memories provide the courage to accept each new challenge that comes our way.

Hymn: When we walk with the Lord

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Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for being with us on our journey. Help us through the challenges we face. Amen