"Trust in
the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in
all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths"
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
This has become my life verse.
Trust was the main issue I was dealing with when the
Lord was calling me to Himself. My life experiences had shattered my
trust in God and in most people. I could trust my husband, Bob, my mom
and myself. That’s all I could count on. My mom had died that year
though. God was not in the picture for me for quite some time. About
two years into our marriage, we quit going to church. It was the
challenges and struggles with my oldest son at about 15 yrs old, that
brought me to my knees. I could no longer control things, my son was
out of control. We needed the Lord.
So, "Trust in the Lord with
ALL your heart", took me about a full year to fully give in
and receive the Lord; and another year to experience testing God and
trusting God to control all my circumstances. I had to experience
giving up control to God, (like I really had "control"), practice
trusting Him, praying and watching Him work out ALL the details in my
life.
All I have to do is look back in time and see the
evidence of God’s hand upon my life. The knowledge that He directed and
controlled circumstances in my walk with Him, from the biggest
challenges to the most minute details of everyday life, is comforting
and gives confidence to us. I CAN trust Him; life is more
relaxed and joyful this way. He is faithful, always on time and in
control. The knowledge that "God is in control" always provides
assurance and comfort for me.
"Lean not on your own
understanding". Even though we have a natural tendency to
try to understand and make sense of circumstances and situations, it’s
great to know we don’t have to understand everything, nor can we.
God’s ways are higher than ours. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my
ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts".
This provides relief for us from worry, anxiety,
nervousness, etc., because this gives us the knowledge to relax and
trust Him more deeply, even when things seem out-of-control or don’t
make sense. God is in control - period.
"In ALL your ways
acknowledge Him". Now just how often do we actually
acknowledge God in our circumstances and in life in general? The verse
says, in ALL Your Ways…. That means He is at work and present in ALL our
lives, in every part of it, in every detail, even with all the "hats" we
wear, the different roles and responsibilities we have.
So, we are to be aware and acknowledge in word and
action that we abide in Him and see His presence and work in our lives.
So, we need to be watchful for His presence and how He really is there
directing, protecting and loving us daily. Look for God’s miracles in
your life, look for His blessings. He provides them daily in great and
small ways. Sometimes, it is the smallest and most simple blessings
that come our ways that are the sweetest and most memorable, that
touches our hearts deeply.
"And He WILL direct your
path." God totally and completely directs our paths. If we
trust Him and give control over to Him, we can grow in faith and in the
Fruit of the Spirit. Watch for how gently and directly He directs you
and your circumstances. But you have to be attentive and watchful in
your walk with the Lord, so you can see His handiwork. Phil. 1:6-7
says, "Being confident of this, that He who began
a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus
Christ." God is faithful; be faithful and grateful to Him by
trusting Him totally in everything.
by Genevieve Douglass
Co-Founder of AOWAC
Agent Orange Widows Awareness Coalition
www.aowac.org
