“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths “Proverbs 3:5-6
I like to plan things. When I am going somewhere, I like to know all the details before hand. If I am meeting someone, I want a definite time and place. I would rather be fifteen minutes early than five minutes late. When someone cannot make it at the time planned, I want them to let me know.
When it comes to our walk with the Lord, He does not give us all the details. He asks us to trust Him completely and take one step at a time. Sometimes the next step we must take is clear. Other times we are not sure just what He wants us to do. Those are the times when we must put this verse in Proverbs into practice.
Sometimes what we think we want is not what God wants. In His love and mercy, He sometimes gives us what we want to prove to us that it is not what we want at all. We see this in Israel’s story.
Psalm 81:11 “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So, I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh, that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries.”
There are other times when the Lord may pry from our fingers the things we clutch the hardest, so that we have open hands to receive what He wants to give us. The blessings and gifts that the Lord has for us are so much better than what we think are important. I am reminded of the famous quote from Jim Eliot, a Missionary what was killed in Ecuador in 1956: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep gaining what he cannot lose.”
We all like to make plans. But rather make plans and then ask the Lord to bless them, we earnestly seek His will, and the guidance of His Holy Spirit as we plan. Often, He may ask us to wait a while. Remember our timing is usually emotional, but God’s timing is intentional. He sees the future, knows the bigger picture, and has our very best in mind. He always shows up just in time.
Thought For Today: Trust the Lord, He knows what is best for us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
