Know it!
For just a moment, let these truths sink in: God can and will use the circumstances going on in our lives to draw us closer to Him. God guides, sustains, loves, and longs to have fellowship with us. God is always at work in us and around us. God is purposeful in all of His ways. We can trust the heart and hand of God. Not only is God leading us, He is also preparing the way so we can experience spiritual victory. Without exception, God knows what is best for us in every situation we face.
Friend, I believe everything in the paragraph you just read. Sometimes it’s just hard to live it out. At different times, I struggle with anxiety, worry, and issues of control. My natural tendency is NOT to trust God’s plan. I tend to question and doubt. This struggle is real and ebbs and flows based on what is going on in my life. I know that doesn’t sound very spiritual, but it is honest and real!
If you have lived for long, you know that we are not promised a problem free life. Even now, you may be reading this blog as you sit in a doctors office waiting for your name to be called. When sin entered the world, bad things like death, disease, and difficulty became a reality all of us would face. So how can we trust God in the face of an unknown future? We remember that God is the One who is ultimately in control! Right now, God is with you. We serve the One True God who is able to meet and exceed every need we face!
If there is anything I have learned during my time on earth it’s that trust comes from knowing who God is and how He faithfully works. God is with us and He is for us! We express our willingness to fully trust God by placing our confidence in Him. When we do, peace protects our hearts and minds even when we are on the roller coaster called “life.”
Live it!
The Bible says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, New International Version, emphasis added)
I love this passage and consider it one of my “go to” passages. I hope you noticed that God’s peace is able to guard our hearts and minds. When God’s peace guards our hearts, God enables us to have a quiet spirit instead of a “tizzy” type of spirit. A quiet spirit is a calm spirit. A calm spirit is filled with a peace that we cannot explain. This sense of peace is real, and it’s apparent especially when we are in the middle of an unknown or uncomfortable situation.
Praising God in the storm is hard. It can be like riding a roller coaster with ups and downs, twists and turns, and feelings all around. I am so glad we don’t have to feel bad about the roller coaster of emotions we often experience. Instead of feeling bad, we can ask God to quiet our hearts and help us see how He is going before us and making the path straight. Trusting God provides an opportunity for us to praise God when we are doubting, rely on God when life is uncertain, and access God’s strength instead of our own.
A Spirit-led mind knows and finds peace in the fact that we don’t have to solve our problems by relying on our strength, resources, or abilities. Instead, we can rely on God’s strength, resources, and abilities to guide us. It’s reassuring to know that we don’t have to figure out how to overcome the difficult situations of life. We can go to the Lord and trust that He cares for us and willingly guides us each step of the way. As a result, instead of going to a place of over planning or over controlling, we can go to a place of peace.
Share it!
It’s one thing to say, “God is directing the events of my life as He guides, sustains, loves, and longs to have fellowship with me.” It’s another thing to actually believe it! Right now, we are exploring the topic of trusting God in our Girl on the Go Community (join us on Facebook in our private group!) as well as on our social media platforms. The life of Abraham is setting the stage for us to learn how to trust God's plan. I hope you will join the conversation by joining the private Girl on the Go Facebook Group!
As we dig into this important topic, we are defining trust and asking God to apply trust to the daily areas of life. The outcome will be peace and confidence, not in ourselves but in our God! I can’t wait to share this faith adventure with you! Let’s kick it off by thinking about the following questions.
"Do I naturally trust God?" (If so, you need to write our next blog!)
"In what areas of life do I need to trust God so I can experience His peace?"
"How would it change my daily life if I trusted God in these areas?"
I love you and I am praying for you. God is on the move in your life. He sees you and knows you! Hang on to Him as you remember that He is hanging on to you!
Much Love,
Andrea
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