Trust and Obey

I started this journey of trust almost two years ago.  I have always been a person who loved to write but then one day the Lord spoke to my spirit and out of that conversation came this blog.  In the beginning I wrote many entries on the journey of trust that you and I as Christians walk each and every day.  When you get up in the morning, you make a conscious decision to give the day back to the Lord and allow Him to lead, guide and direct you or you decide to go about your day making your own decisions.  As I sit here now and reflect over the past year and a half, I can see so many times where I failed.  I didn't allow the Lord to be the 'Decision Maker' in my life.  How many times I spoke before I prayed.  I moved without allowing the Lord to direct my path.  I based major decisions on an emotional feeling when I felt the tugging of the Holy Spirit saying 'Be still'.  I had constant conflict within myself because in my mind God was taking to long.  I was leaning on my own understanding and giving God credit for things that He had not blessed and I had orchestrated on my own.  And time after time I found myself in situation that God had never intended for me to be in the first place. 

As I sat and reflected I was led to the story of Abram and Sarai.  Abram, who God had made a covenant with (Genesis 15:5) and Sarai who, after ten childless years after the covenant was made, became impatient.  An impatience that caused her to act.  An action that led to problems based ultimately on a lack of trust.  I can only imagine Sarai's frustration, perhaps feeling like a failure to her husband,  and then Abram who only wanted to make his wife happy. It was time to make a choice.   He could have just as easily told his wife 'no', that he was going to trust the covenant that God had made with him.  But instead, he did like I have done countless times, I did something to try and help along God. 

Today I stopped by to tell you one simple thing.  It isn't anything that you haven't already heard.  'God doesn't need your help'.  He has carefully and lovingly designed a plan for your life.  All He needs for you to do is trust Him.  To have a' firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, and strength of the one, true and living God'.  He hasn't promised you something and then forgotten about it.  He is not working to give you sloppy seconds, instead He was to give you the best of everything.  And this sometimes requires time.  It requires some preparation of your blessing for you and you for your blessing.  It requires some time spent in the valley so that you will learn to appreciate the mountaintop.  When I think of this analogy, I think about my children.  While I could spoil them and give them everything they want, I'm not.  There are some things that they are just not ready to receive right now.  They wouldn't appreciate it.  There will be things I give them that they don't necessarily deserve but I'm going to give it to them because I love them.  It is in this same way that God blesses you and I.  'While we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly'. Romans 5:8 You and I will never live a life that is good enough to receive the blessings of God.  And while I'm on this, let me put a damper in a misconception that I have been saying for many years.  Y'all know the saying,'I'm striving to be better'.  There was even a song that was sung in the choir.  The lyrics went something like this, "Lord, I'm striving, trying to make one hundred because ninety-nine and a half won't do".  There is one word in both those phrases that is biblically incorrect.  Can you guess what it is?  Striving.  The definition of striving is to 'make great efforts to achieve or obtain something'.  This word implies that you are using your own strength and anytime you are using your own strength that means God is not standing up in you.  (Blame my Pastor for that one.  He always said that as Christians we were always going around quoting and saying stuff that was biblically not sound.)  In other words, if you are striving then you can't possibly be leaning.  You most certainly aren't trusting because there is something in you that still believes that you can do this on your own.  Well, you can't.  The time has come to 'trust and obey'  Give up your rights.  Surrender to the will of God.  Give Him complete control of your life and then learn to enjoy the peace that comes from knowing that He has it all under control. 

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

I have a confession to make.  I haven't been completely relying on You.  Instead I have been trying to work out my future in the way that I think it should go.  I don't want to do this anymore.  It's tiresome.  I'm giving up my rights and want You to take control of my life.  I don't want to make one decision without asking "Is this Your will for my life?"  And Lord if I don't hear from You then let me 'be still' until Your will is clear to me.  You promised Lord that You would give me what I need daily.  All I have to do is ask.  So Lord I'm trusting You.  You know what's best for me.  Thank You for being everything I need. Help me to rely on Your strength.  In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.