Trusting (oy)

1 Kings 18:36-37  “³⁶ At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. ³⁷ O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

How many times have you prayed that prayer or something similar? How much do we think that if God followed our will (like Elijah prayed), we could be such a great testimony to His Word! When the truth is: it’s not about your will. Thy will be done (Matthew 6:10). Not My will be done. I’ve often thought I knew how a situation should go; and prayed that if God made it so- how many people would know it was a “God-thing”. But, that’s not His Will. Truth is; regardless of our prayers; our pleading that He grant us this ‘one thing’ to “prove Him” to others; we’re really wanting Him to prove Him to us. 

And let’s reverse it: how many times does God ‘pray’ to me to ‘just do this one thing’ to show others His Word? And how many times do we listen? It comes back to: If we don’t do what God wants—then why should He do what we want? Do you answer Him as often as you think He should answer you?  I know I don’t.  Why aren’t you?  I know mine is mostly fear; fear that He doesn’t actually know better, or have control over the situation; because typically His ‘ideas’ aren’t something I grasp as ‘possible’. “When you try to figure out [(questioning, doubting, etc.)] the future [(according to His Will)], you are grasping at things that are [His].” (Jesus Calling, February 26 devotion) Your reasoning, understanding, contemplating - whatever you want to call it- (let’s call a spade a spade: worrying) are all acts of doubt= lack of trust/faith. 

Where’s our trust in Him? Where’s our faith that He knows best?  He tells us what; He doesn’t have to tell us why. Deuteronomy 29:29 “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that He has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.” What aren’t you obeying that He has revealed to you? Why aren’t you? Do you lack the ‘Passion’? How can you lack the ‘Passion’ when Jesus Christ’s Passion for you doesn’t lack?

So again, why can’t we trust Him? Why do we think that to do what His will is for us, we need to know what it is first? Obviously, we need some instructions; we can’t fly by the seat of our pants the whole time (though, sometimes, that flying is pure trusting). God does tell us His plan; in increments. He whispers a direction in the wind. He shows us confirmation in a song, or a verse, or through a friend. He leaves us hints to follow—only we’re too oblivious to notice them most of the time. He drops bread crumbs, but we’re too busy looking around. He writes it in the sky, yet we never look up. He puts it on paper, but we never open the Book. He places it in our hearts, but we won’t tear down the wall.

He speaks so clearly to us at times, but we can’t hear over the noise of the world. We ask Him for direction, but don’t stop long enough to wait for Him to answer. We’re so busy expecting Him to be at our beckon call that we’re not at His. And it is His call. It is His Will be done, not our own. (Matthew 6:10, Matthew 26:39)

Maybe the next time we call out to Him for guidance, we should stop and wait for His direction. Because He has a direction for us (Psalms 32:8); He never leaves us lost. He never leaves us alone. He is with us, always. (Deuteronomy 31:6) And He loves us unconditionally. (Romans 5:8)

Step out on faith! Quit worrying about where the time, money, and/or energy will come from to make it happen. Release the worry, and embrace the passion! Besides, what are you really worrying about?  Do you really think He won’t guide you along the way? Psalm 32:8: “The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”