Trust.
This word just keeps turning up, everywhere I look. Just maybe the Lord is speaking a truth that I need to put into practice. Hmmm?
As I thought about trust and the idea of trusting the Lord, a school playground teeter totter came to mind, and with it my elementary school days. Trust is essential when deciding to embark on that partner game. If your partner or (former) friend decides to be a real jokester and jump off you will find yourself plummeting toward the ground and land before you are fully prepared! Ask me how I know this.
What I am discovering is that in order to trust the Lord more, I need to deny or let go of my own understanding. Does that make sense? If I work at figuring out the solution to my situation, I’m leaning on my own understanding, my own skills or abilities, or in “church ease” relying on my own power. This implies that I’m not trusting in the Lord at all. So if you follow me back to my elementary school playground and jump on the teeter totter with the Lord it looks like this. When I am in control and working things out on my own I’ve got my feet on the ground. I can push off and send myself soaring. I can hover on the ground and make my partner feel helpless. (aside from the whole weight issue of course) The idea is that I’m in control and He is not.
However when I humble myself, and put my complete trust in Him, He is in control. The Lord decides where I go and I entrust myself to Him. Side note: I drove all over to find a teeter totter to take a picture of and none could be found. Bummer! Going back to the scripture, the remainder of this thought is completed in verse 6.
“In all your ways acknowledge Him” in other words, first let Him be LORD and second brag on Him for being your LORD. Finally and “He will make your path’s straight”. Hurrah! isn’t that the goal? Yes, it sure is my goal. The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. If it is possible I will take straight paths over bumpy, windy, crooked, difficult ones any day.
Putting this into practice might look something like this.
1. Spend time with the Lord in prayer. Set a chunk of your day aside just for HIM and you will be blessed with the assurance of God’s presence and concern for your life.
2. Practice “not fixing” circumstances in your life or your friend’s, or your children’s lives. Instead, go to God and ask Him to intercede and complete His work. Sometimes we just get in God’s way when stepping in with our good intentions.
3. Always praise! In every situation God inhabits the praises of His people.