God is gracious

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you. - Psalm 32:8-9

Do you ever feel like you're spinning your wheels. Working hard trying to get somewhere and no matter how hard you try you can't get there? Sometimes it even feels as if you're going backwards?

I recently read a book about Hannibal, the Carthaginian general who put the entire Roman empire on its heels and filled the city of Rome with fear. Arguably the greatest military commander the world has ever seen, he brought a coalition army complete with cavalry and elephants across the alps and invaded Italy. In one single battle he wiped out an army of 100,000 men. To put this in perspective the Americans sent 80,000 soldiers to Iraq to defeat Saddam can you imagine the fear and dismay if that army had been wiped out? Not one single survivor.

Obviously, the people of Rome were terrified and this is the reason for the saying "Hannibal at the gates!" History proves Rome's eventual victory over Carthage. Not by greater effort. Not by attrition. But by a new strategy emplyed by a General named Scipio with a new perspective.

Scipio conscripted farmers to repopulate the Roman army and instead of throwing them against Hannibal hoping for a different result he took them to Spain and fought and defeated Hannibal's allies there. After Spain he made a pact with the Numidians in Africa and marched on Carthage in modern day Tunisia.

With his home in danger Hannibal was forced to return to defend it. With Spain in Roman hands Hannibal couldn't return overland the way he came. Instead his army was loaded onto ships in Italy and sailed across the Mediterranean. No room for the horses of his deadly Numidian cavalry so they were left behind. Since Scipio had made peace with the Numidians there would be no calvary there to take their place. Africa would be the grave of Hannibal's "barbarian horde" and the city of Carthage razed. For his victory Scipio would receive the moniker "Africanus".

Sometimes I feel like I'm gripping the wheel too tightly and I've got the pedal to the floor. I'm going nowhere and the harder I try the more the wheels spin. In the rear view mirror all I see is smoke. Scipio had the wisdom to try something different, we have the wisdom of God. The relationship between work and results isn't linear. At best its a logarithmic curve that begins to degrade once I hit my limit. Or maybe that's just how it feels.

And so I stop and breathe.

God is gracious. His strength made perfect in my weakness. His will is perfect, and so is His timing and sequence. God has chosen fools to have understanding and guides us with His eye.

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah - Psalm 32:6-7