Trusting with the Impossible

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

What are you struggling to trust the Lord with? We all have things that we just can’t seem to let God handle for us. It’s another control issue. (Man! We just can’t seem to stop trying to control stuff!) But since we've covered the issue of control in previous devotionals, let’s focus on something a little different. Something called, “the expectation gap”.

I think that one of the reasons why we struggle to trust the Lord with every area of our lives is because we have all envisioned our lives being way different than they are. When I was a little girl I wanted to be a princess and wear pretty dresses all the time, I thought about it so much that I half expected to answer the phone one day and be told that I was royalty and then be transported to my castle. I was weird, I know, but that’s not the point. The point is that I didn't get to be what I really wanted to be. And disappointments like this happen to us all our lives. It’s not that God just wants to let us down all the time and He doesn't want us to be happy…it’s that He knows what is best for us and wants to lead us to it. Just like your children. You know that giving them candy and soda and junk food isn't good for them. You have to tell them “No” and lead them to a healthier food decision for their own good. So they can grow and develop and be healthy. They don’t like it when they don’t get what they want, but one day, they will realize that the plan you had for them was better.

Think back on your life for a moment. How many things didn't go as planned? How many things ultimately turned out better because of it?

The verse above says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and do not depend on your own understanding.” Trusting God doesn't mean we try to hide our anxiety from everyone. Trusting God means that we believe He loves us and will not only take care of us, but lavish His love on us. We must believe that His understanding is greater than ours. He didn't forget about you. You don’t have to “take matters into your own hands.” He knows where you are supposed to “end up”. Sometimes he only shows you one step at a time. Sometimes, the only “step” you see is the one you are standing on. But when He is ready for you to move forward, your next step will be there and you will be headed down the path He has prepared for you. It is often uncomfortable waiting and wondering what is going to happen next. But don’t worry about your next step. He hasn't let you see it yet for a reason. He wants you to focus on the one you are standing on right now. He has something special for you right here. Be patient. Be joyful. Have trust.