Both my happiness and my usefulness depend upon finding my niche in God’s plan, and staying in it. Everything in God’s Kingdom has a niche, even the stars. “The stars in their courses fought against Sisera” (Judges 5:20, KJV). I must find my niche also. God promises me power and strength only up to my niche, never beyond. If I exceed my niche, I am on my own. Too often exhaustion comes when I have gone beyond God’s plan, driven perhaps by ambition or pride.
It is not hard to find God’s niche, but it is hard to stay inside its limits. We fall either above or below. Paul says, “[Love] does not seek its own [way]” (1 Corinthians 13:5). That often is my trouble, seeking more than God has promised, which leads to all sorts of problems. Or sometimes I underachieve God’s will and that leads to slippage, which forces other people to bear more than they should. Each part of my body has a function; but if one part fails, the whole body is placed under economic constraint to compensate for the failure of one unit.
If I am to stay in my niche, I must possess two abilities: the ability to see the limits of my niche so that I do not exceed them, and the ability to be utterly obedient and submissive to the God who has made my niche for me. To listen to self or others rather than God is to form the beginning of dissatisfaction with my lot, which is the first sign of rebellion. I must remember Moses’ blessing on Benjamin, “He is the beloved of the Lord and dwells … [by His side] securely” (Deuteronomy 33:12, Berkeley). That is the secret: staying by His side! To remain there as His beloved is to stay where I am placed and to want no other, for His sake.
“Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, in order that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God” (Jeremiah 42:6).
Daily with the King 