As a kid, I never understood how orchestras worked. All I saw was some dude with Albert Einstein’s hair in a butler’s tuxedo waving a magic wand around, forcing a bunch of musicians to play the soundtrack of a movie or play. (I almost always envisioned Star Wars or The Nutcracker)
But one question nagged at me the most: “How come they present that ‘dude’ as the leader, when he doesn’t even have an instrument?” What I soon figured out became an illustration of God’s gracious leadership in my life.
That one guy (or gal) at the helm is called the conductor. He doesn’t need an instrument to play, because all the other musicians are “his instruments” in a sense. The conductor knows the music inside and out, knowing when certain instruments are playing and when they are not, and even understanding when he will need to slow them down or lower their volume.
He guides the orchestra through his hand gestures, which is where we get our verb “to orchestrate.”
God is not very different in our own lives. He sits on the throne of the universe, ready to lead us to make a beautiful sound together.
On Wednesday, Courtney and I celebrated our 16-year dating anniversary. When I asked her if she would be willing to be my girlfriend, I could have never anticipated, let alone “orchestrated” these past 16 years. Which is why I am so grateful for God’s guidance in our lives. When we obey Him as our “conductor,” He makes sweet melodies with our lives.
I’ll admit, His time signature doesn’t always match mine, and sometimes He directs me to stop playing when I think I should play louder. But He always knows best. I’ve realized that I never do well when I ignore His direction.
Which leads me to my prayer for you. May you see Him as THE loving and wise conductor in your life this week. You are at your best when you follow His lead. See y’all on Sunday morning!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jack