Living in real time

This morning I got to lead a study with a group of guys who are studying the life of Joseph. Joseph's life is amazing. The favorite son. Hated by his brothers. Sold by them into slavery. Falsely accused and thrown into prison. A prisoner for more than a dozen years. But then....in a moment...flung into the role of leader in Egypt. From prison to palace in a heartbeat. It's the ultimate rags to riches story, but we live in real time. We don't see the end. We don't know how things will turn out. We can only see the moment of loss, the problems of life, the sense of failure. And yet, even living in real time we have an assurance from God regarding the end. What we can't see he can. What we don't know he does. What we can't control he manages with ease. He has a plan and it will be wonderfully executed by the God who loves us. In Proverbs the author writes these words,

Proverbs 20:24- The lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

As I read the story of Joseph it's clear to me what God is doing, but Joseph couldn't see it. All he could do was trust God to work in his life. Living in real time is hard f you don't trust the living God who lives in eternity. It's a wonderful comfort to know we don't have to figure out all the turns and trials of life. We can simply live in real time and trust an amazing God to direct our paths.