Day 20
Principle: The sooner you give up your addiction to understanding what you think is going on, the sooner you can rest and trust God in the bleakest of situations.
Are you a glass-is-completely-empty person?
I had a bleak roommate in college during my hippie phase. He was a completely depressed soul. He never talked and pasted dark charcoal pictures that looked like moon craters all over his closet door.
I once asked him if he was enjoying reading a certain book, just to break the two feet of solid ice in our communication. He slammed the book shut and snapped back “I wouldn’t be on page 158 if I wasn’t.” The ice remained unbroken. I’d say he was a glass-is-completely-empty person.
When Elijah requests to eat the last meal a widow has, he then tells her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.” (1Kings 17:13) Elijah is effectively saying, “I hear you—you’re going to eat your last meal and die. That’s great! While you’re at it, I’ll take two eggs over easy, hash browns, an English muffin and some waffles. Do you have any real butter?”
Elijah seems to be oblivious.
Do you ever feel that way about God? You are freaking out and you think all He’s doing is sunbathing! Nothing could be further from the truth. Whether or not we understand it or see it, God has ordered our steps in the most marvelous way possible. The test is: will we trust what we cannot see? Frankly, will we trust God?
The Bible addresses this most clearly when it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)
The sooner we give up our addiction to understanding what we think is going on in our lives, the sooner we can rest in acknowledging and trusting God in the bleakest of situations. Only then can we experience “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)
Learning to trust God accesses the peace of mind you are looking for. It’s always within reach—with arms of faith. Experience the excitement today of believing the God of the impossible. Not with presumption, based upon the desires of your heart, but upon real faith, grounded on the supreme and sublime plan of a God who loves you infinitely.
- Is there a situation in your life right now that you’re not trusting God with?
- What do you think is hindering you from trusting God in this situation?
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