梅格一直很期待能按照計劃去另一個國家旅遊，但她一如既往地先為這個行程禱告。一位朋友對她說：「不過是去度個假，為什麼需要問上帝呢？」然而，梅格依然相信必須將每件事都交給上帝。這一次她在禱告之後，覺得上帝要她取消行程，於是她就真的取消了。不久，那個國家爆發了傳染病，正是她原本預定去當地旅遊的時間。梅格表示：「我覺得上帝在保護我。」

挪亞也同樣倚靠上帝的保護。在大洪水消退之後，挪亞和他家人仍然在方舟裡等候了將近兩個月。當時挪亞困在方舟裡已經超過十個月，肯定很想出去。畢竟，「地上的水都乾了」，挪亞也親眼看見「地面上乾了」（創世記8章13節）。但挪亞沒有只憑眼見，而是等到上帝告訴他可以出方舟的時候，他才出去（15-19節）。他相信上帝絕對有充分的理由，要他多等些時日，或許提前離開方舟並不安全。

當我們在生活中為作各樣的決定禱告時，讓我們運用上帝所賜的能力，並等候祂的帶領。我們絕對可以相信祂安排的時間，因這位充滿智慧的創造主知道什麼對你我最好。如同詩人說：「耶和華啊，我依然信靠祢；⋯⋯我的時日都掌握在祢手中。」（詩篇31篇14-15節，當代譯本修訂版）

Mag had been looking forward to her planned trip to another country. But, as was her usual practice, she prayed about it first. “It’s just a holiday,” a friend remarked. “Why do you need to consult God?” Mag, however, believed in committing everything to Him. This time, she felt Him prompting her to cancel the trip. She did, and later—when she would have been there—an epidemic broke out in the country. “I feel like God was protecting me,” she notes.

Noah too relied on God’s protection as he and his family waited in the ark for nearly two months after the flood subsided. After being cooped up for more than ten months, he must have been eager to get out. After all, “the water had dried up from the earth” and “the ground was dry” (Genesis 8:13). But Noah didn’t just rely on what he saw; instead, he left the ark only when God told him to (vv.15-19). He trusted that God had good reason for the extended wait—perhaps the ground wasn’t completely safe yet.

As we pray about the decisions in our life, using our God-given faculties and waiting for His leading, we can trust in His timing, knowing that our wise Creator knows what’s best for us. As the psalmist declared, “I trust in you, Lord. . . . My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:14-15).