Posted on February 16, 2023 by Elizabeth Welte in Freedom Fighters
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart…”
How often we claim the first statement without following through on the clear directive of the second, to “not depend on your own understanding..?” Isn’t it true, that at this point we inform God that we ‘trust Him to do what makes us happy and stress free’, and allow our desires to blind us to what His perfect plan has for our lives..? He may have a furnace or lion’s den in our future… or maybe a surgery, a change in location, a new job or career, or even a new relationship that will honor and glorify Him and be good for you… But how would we know if we are relying on ourselves?
To know God’s will, and to move in the direction He is leading, we must, “seek His will in all we do, and in doing so, God will show us which path to take.” That means reading His revealed Word and praying, asking Him to do what He has promised, which is giving us an understanding by His Spirit. Solomon’s next statement is the one I have taken to heart, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” The only reason to be afraid of God is if you are rejecting His Word and leaving Him out of your life. To fear Him is to understand He is ‘Absolute Perfection’ and being afraid ‘not’ to be on the path He has established… having become so in tune to His Word that you can distinguish His voice as the sheep know the voice of the Shepherd. It is in the sound of His voice we find rest in His Words and abide in His directions; it is in the security of His voice, which we have come to trust through prayer and bible study, that “you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8)
The biggest thing I have learned in my chair by the window is to trust God’s goodness. To pray as Jesus did in the most stressful moment of His incarnate life, ‘not my will or desires Father, but your will be done!’ I find this hardest to do when I am exhausted and just want to give up… but thank God, His Spirit takes over, for “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will” (Romans 8:26-27).
Yes we need to trust in God, but we need to do it by putting off our will and desires, not ‘being impressed with our own wisdom’, and cry out with His Spirit, ‘Thy will be done!’ There is hope, no matter what the circumstances, for Jesus is with you completing the will of God for your life. Seek Him with all your heart… for prayer wins the day!
Choose wisely…
“Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, BUT those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.” (Psalms 37:8-9)
Praying 4 U!
Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church. He is the author of two devotional books, “From a Chair by the Window.” And “#PrayerWinsThe Day”.
Think About This: “Spread out your petition before God, and then say, “Thy will, not mine, be done.” The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me.” – D. L. Moody
The Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 15-16 You can download our 2023 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” Psalm 33:4-5
Consider a retreat at America’s Keswick retreat center.
