Listen! You don’t see the big picture. Sometimes God asks us to do things that make no sense, sometimes He allows things to happen that we don’t understand. The fraction of life that we see is so small compared to the hawk eye view God has for us. In Isaiah 55:8-9 it says ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”, declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.””(NLT) When I start to get worried about circumstances or lack of understanding God’s plan I have to remind myself that I don’t see the full picture.
It’s easy to think that you know what’s best in certain situations. BUT we are called to trust the Lord’s understanding over our own. Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” We are actually advised to NOT depend on our understanding of situations and circumstances. Verse 6 goes on to say “Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you what path to take.” This is the gift of having communication with God – the gift of the Holy Spirt. When life gets hard, be encouraged. This is an opportunity for you to follow the Lord’s leading instead of your own. Not only does that take the pressure off, but it also invites you to TRUST in someone who will never fail to choose the best path for you.
As long as I can remember I struggled with trusting the Lord. I didn’t understand how a good God could allow bad things to happen. When things got hard I ran AWAY from God instead of running to Him seeking the wisdom that He freely gives. (James 1:5) I struggled with wanting the control of doing things my way as a response to the world crumbling around me. I carried all of the pressure of staying ready to fix things that were never in my control in the first place. Throughout that time I realized I was causing myself more pain by not TRUSTING that the Lord had the BEST intentions for me and my situations.
It’s time to be humble and realize that you don’t have everything figured out. You need to surrender control and allow the Lord to do His job. Lean into trusting Him. There is so much peace and comfort in trusting that your situations and circumstances are in bigger hands than yours. He is a good God. He will not fail you. He wants what’s best for you- even if you don’t believe that it is best.
Practical advice:
-SLOW DOWN. You don’t need to be in a rush to figure everything out on your own. Be intentional about spending time with the Lord seeking HIS perfect will.
Prayer:
“Dear Jesus, thank you for being worthy of my trust. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you for wanting the best for me and pointing me in the right direction. Please help me trust your way, not my own. Keep me humble and give me wisdom. Help me put my trust in you when things don’t go the way I expected. Amen.”
Reflection question:
“What is an area of my life that I need to stop depending on my own understanding?” -> Then surrender that to Jesus and watch how things shift.
Verses:
Romans 8:28
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Colossians 3:2
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth”
Philippians 4:6
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done”.
Hebrews 4:13
“And nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Proverbs 15:3
“The LORD sees everything; he even knows the secret motives of our hearts.”
