I trust you…
It's so easy to say. It’s much harder to mean.
One of the first stories in the Bible is about Eve and how she doesn't follow God's instructions. Adam and Eve had everything, but the Tree of Knowledge and the temptation from the devil became too much.
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realised they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:6-7 NIV
God's challenge to me recently has been about trusting him in every aspect of my life. I'd like to think that I do, but sometimes I struggle to give absolutely everything over to Him. I become impatient and think that things should happen by my timing, not God’s.
In Genesis, Eve chose not to trust God's instructions. Instead, she let her desire for wisdom and knowledge supersede God's plan for her life.
Sometimes we think we would like to know everything, know the plans that He holds for us and what the future is going to hold, but the story of Adam and Eve teaches us that we are not meant to know, we are created to trust. And really, how boring would life be if we knew everything and all that was going to happen?
I suppose we all like to feel an element of control over our lives; it's part of what makes us human. I’m fairly organised and I thrive on plans and routines. But the truth is, I really have no idea about what direction my life is heading in and I need to trust Him.
I have ideas about where I think it should go, but God has been pulling me away from those decisions and pointing me towards a different direction. I need to respect that His plans are going to be better than anything I can imagine for myself.
When we take matters into our own hands and don't trust Him and follow His plan for our lives, that's when things start to go wrong, like they did for Eve.
One of my favourite verses comes from Jeremiah:
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
Jeremiah 29:11
God tells us that He wants the best for us. His promise to us is of hope. All of us can anticipate that there are great things in store for us when we choose to follow Him. It's a verse full of positivity and assurance.
We all go through tough seasons, but maybe that's getting us ready for what's coming. Like it or not, difficult times make us stronger and draw us closer to God. We live in a broken world and we aren’t promised a life free from trouble. But what we are promised is a future of hope.
I find it tough waiting for God's timing, but I think part of that waiting is drawing us into a deeper relationship with Him. We learn to trust and rely on Him.
The Bible is full of God's promises and when we trust Him, we can know that God is with us, no matter what.
written by Nicola Harper