I also love the implication of the unknown in this pledge. The word wherever indicates that, for His children, all future paths may not be pre-designated. There will be surprises, challenges, and detours for those who are seeking first the kingdom. That’s why Jesus described this path as the difficult one with few travelers (Matt. 7:14). Have you ever considered that on the day of commitment Abraham did not know about that day on Mount Moriah (Gen.22)? Whenever Job committed to walk in the ways of the Lord he didn’t know about that terrible day of repeated, multiple loss (Job 1). When Elijah was called to prophesy, God didn’t forewarn him about living in a cave by a brook during a famine and depending on the birds for his bread (I Kings 17). Peter didn’t think about the consequences of commitment until he was standing around that fire being asked if he was one of them (Mark 14:70).
I know teenagers who have sacrificed baseball tournaments, trips to famous places and positions of acclaim and popularity because of commitment. I have a friend who sacrificed a recording contract with RCA because of compromises of spiritual commitment she was called upon to make. I know elderly people who routinely exit their comfort zones to faithfully assemble with God’s people because of a commitment. We should always be willing to make Matthew 6:33 have a practical application in life. We should be willing to say in reference to anything that becomes a roadblock to faithfulness, “I have a prior commitment.”
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The above post is taken largely from “More Than Conquerors: Studies in Joshua” the 2009 Lectureship book from the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver; Building Your Own Altars, by Cindy Colley.
