We spend most of our lives trying to be perfect. Even if we say we don’t, our actions reflect striving to reach unspoken expectations just so we feel good and, in some cases, pat ourselves on the back. I mentioned this last week that one of the most important aspects of our relationship with God is obedience, as Samuel writes, obedience is better than sacrifice. So, no matter how much we try to offer God in doing the thing, it is our obedient heart that needs to be surrendered to Him. To walk in obedience goes hand in hand with trusting God. Trusting that He is the one that makes a way. Trusting that He provides, trusting that He cares, and most of all trusting that He loves us. The list could go on and on because it is this trust in the Lord that requires us to let go and let God, even when our best intentions and aspirations seem good.
There are a few stories in the Bible that I could mention that position trust at the foundation of God moving.
Abraham being instructed to sacrifice Isaac.
Noah being instructed to build the Ark for the saving of his household.
Moses being instructed to lead Israel out of Egypt.
David being commissioned as King while he was shepherding.
Jonah being instructed to go to Nineveh.
Time after time, there is a level of trust and obedience that needs to be cultivated from start to finish, allowing God to move miraculously in the person and in the people’s lives around them. Since we know that trusting in God is not always about us, but about the testimonies that can more assuredly give God credit and more glory to His name in the end.
Take, for example, my own story about moving to Houston. After visiting Houston for 3 months in 2020, I was for sure ecstatic about moving. I had this feeling that God was calling me to be here. I couldn’t really explain it, but it was a heavy pull to come back. So, I said to myself and a few friends at the time, “I am moving to Houston after graduation.” I remember sitting with a friend, and she said, “Maybe you should wait to go.” At the time, I was very hurt and sad because her advice wasn’t what I wanted to hear, and over time the waiting period felt like forever. So, I went back to God after deciding not to move after graduation, and I remember asking Him to align my steps. If Houston was where He wanted me to go, then let me be ready when it is time. I enrolled back into school to get a master’s degree, and by the grace of God, the school paid for me to go through a graduate assistant position on campus. I knew it was only God. After just 1 year, the time was coming when I was nearing graduation and deciding to move to Houston a second time. This time, there was not an inch of doubt that it was time for me to go. This time, not only was I trusting the word God had given me in 2020 but also trusting in God completely that I was ready to walk in the will that He had for my life.
Often, we think it is God who needs to trust us more, but it is really us that should trust in Him by being obedient to His word.
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 [NLT]
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
And last but not least, Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. So, while I knew I would be in Houston because God was calling me to this place, He was also still building dependence in me to trust Him completely. What felt like a forever season of waiting was God pruning me for greatness, and I would give credit to God and God alone for not letting me leave when I felt I was ready, but in His perfect will, leading me to all things that He has for me.
Prayer:
Father God, I pray for the men and women reading this post who are experiencing uncertainty and doubt. I ask that You would bring to their remembrance, Holy Spirit, a Word that tells them You are with them, a Word they can hold on to when they don’t know which way to go or what decision to make. I pray that You would direct their path and lead them beside still waters. I pray against the spirit of anxiety and worry that is causing fear. I ask that You would sow a new seed of trust and dependence in You so that they can become more obedient. Guide them into a closer walk with You as they lean not on their own understanding, but in all of their ways submit to You and Your plans for their lives. I ask that in love you would call away from doubt and into total surrender. In Jesus’ Name Amen.
