LOOKING UP TO THE ONE WHO KNOWS BEST
Ashley Ulino
Today’s Scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV
Theme: Trust God, not your own ability to control. He will show you the right path to take.
TRUST
When I think of people I trust in my own life I think of my parents, my spouse, and my best friend. I trust them because I know them personally; I know their heart and character beyond any circumstance. I have confidence I can call upon them and they will be there, and the advice they give comes from a pure heart. They are speaking out of love and ultimately want what’s best for me. Yet, do we trust Jesus as much? Do we trust his plans for us, even if those plans make no sense? I have considered these questions a lot in this season of life. My husband and I both have fertility issues and are currently in a two-week waiting period to find out if we’re pregnant after a procedure. We have both had to learn how to trust Jesus even in this.
ACKNOWLEDGE HIM
You and I can learn how to trust Jesus by acknowledging Him in our lives. To acknowledge means to know or to recognize someone. We can begin to know His character by studying His references in the Bible, the people knew Him personally. We can investigate His work in their lives and how He proved His trustworthiness to them. One thing we see when studying the life of Noah is that his situation doesn’t appear good at first, much like our own. We see their perspective is limited and that they don’t know the whole story or ending yet. If God can work in their lives, we can trust He can and He is at work in ours. Our trust in Him will never be wasted. God showed up and, out of his love for his children, He worked their scenarios out for good. That may have looked different than what they wanted, yet we can trust God’s love for us. We can trust His perspective no matter what our situation looks like.
STRAIGHT PATH
God not only shows up at the end of our stories, He is with us in the middle. In Noah's life God spoke to him and told him to build an ark when he’d never seen rain, let alone a flood. Those crazy instructions saved him and his family
In my own season, it is scary and out of my control. It’s a lot of unknowns much like many other things you may be facing in life. One thing I have realized though is there is something I can control. I can either succumb to my worries and fears or I can lift my eyes off myself and onto God and trust He will help me through and that he has good plans for me. God spoke to each of those people in the Bible and guided them he taught them how to live freely, how to depend on him and how he would see them through. He doesn’t leave us to figure it all out on our own he gives us his word which is true to look to and he promises to be faithful to us.
Make It Personal: Are you thriving in this season or are you stuck in fear, worry, and jealousy? The song Jesus at A Distance by Casting Crowns it talks about how we hide away in our fears we walk the wire between darkness and light. But when we stop pushing Jesus away and stop holding back from Him everything changes. Maybe you, like me, need to stop pushing Him and your circumstance away and just lean into Him. He’s there to help and has so much to offer you, take Him up on all of it. He has more in store for you than you can ever imagine, let Him show you.
Pray: Dear God, There is so much in life I don’t understand. So many things that lead me far away from You. Father, forgive me for allowing all of that to cloud my mind. God I’m sorry that I have not been looking to You. Thank you for Your grace and Your love. Thank You that You call me back into Your embrace and that You wait for me with open arms. Father I ask that You replace these fears and worries with Your peace, Your hope, Your wisdom and perspective. Help me to continue to trust You and to take the steps to get closer to You. Thank You for being good and faithful and that Your goodness runs after me. Help me to remember Your truths in my time of need. Help me to cling to you and put you first.
Read: Mark 9:24; John 11:40; Romans 8:28; 1 Peter 5:7
Weekly Memory Verse: “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31, ESV