Trust
The last few weeks, my brain has been swirling. My temperament is to have things planned out way in advance, and yet, over the last several years, this part of my temperament has been tested at its core. Can I trust the Living God when He has spoken, or do I have to have all my ducks in a row to trust?
This morning, I read,
Matthew 6:30-34 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
But doesn’t God know all that is in front of me? Doesn’t He know that I need to figure out how we are going to rent out our home, how we will pay for flights, where we will live while we are in the Outback of Australia, how we will afford the next six months? Doesn’t He know so much needs to be figured out? What about my daughter, who has a brain tumor? What happens if we need to get her medical attention immediately while in the Outback?
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I know, I know, Lord. I’ve read this a million times in the last 30 years of my Christian walk, but don’t You know that You created me with this deep need to understand what will happen next? We need to plan. There are six of us going into the Outback for 6 months, and we can’t afford to pay both our mortgage and living expenses in Australia. We have to raise all of our own support, Lord . . . .
The swirling can continue and continue if I let it. But when does my faith come in? When will I allow my faith to rise up? This morning, as I sit before the Lord with my thoughts, I choose to remind myself of His faithfulness.
Ten years ago, we were in the hospital with our three-year-old daughter, who had just had brain surgery and still had a brain tumor in her head. Questions were swirling in our minds back then. We had already sold most of our stuff, downsized our home from four bedrooms to a two-bedroom apartment, and told everyone we were leaving to go into missions. We had enough money to pay for the first three months of our YWAM training school, and one person committed to partnering with us at $50 a month. But that was it.
We had no answers to the questions, but with fear and trembling, we continued to walk out in faith. We continued to allow the Lord to be greater than our circumstances. Now, ten years later, we have so many stories. God has provided over and over again. At times, He’s provided for mission trips we’ve committed to while we were on the way to the airport. He’s opened doors over and over again, even some doors we’ve had to wait until only hours before we needed them to open. He bought and sold a miracle home for us in Kailua-Kona and now He bought us a house in Pensacola. He’s kept my daughter safe through all of our travels, and when she needed medical attention, we were in a location where she could get the care she needed. God has been faithful.
My only responsibility is to trust Him. Will I? Will I allow the Living God to stretch me anew? Will I allow the Living God to direct my path even if I don’t see the next bend in the road?
Today, I choose yes. Tomorrow, I will choose Yes. Yes, I trust You, Lord. Even in the unknown, I will trust. For You, Lord, are Good! You are Holy.
Will you join me today in trusting what Jesus challenges us to do in Matthew 6? To seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Or will you and I continue to strive, desperately trying to figure everything out? This is my challenge for both you and me. Let us link arms and choose each day to say, “Lord, I trust You with today! I trust that Your Ways are better than my ways. I choose today to worship and adore the Creator of the Universe and not stare at the unknowns in front of me with panic but with FAITH.
