Whoever told you that when you become a Christian all things will be sunshine and roses, and everything will work out the way you’d hope, lied to you.
Being a Christian doesn’t give you a pass to the “fast track” of living your dream life here on Earth.
Being obedient to the Lord doesn’t mean all of your wants and desires will be handed over to you immediately and without a cost. Just ask an Old Testament saint. Or any of Jesus’s disciples. As a matter of fact, ask any godly friend who’s been a Christian more than a few years.
When you’re down, frustrated, or don’t understand what’s happening, I bet they’d all tell you the same thing: Trust in God’s bigger plan, or–
Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
That sounds really good on paper. But how do we get there? Of course, the first thing we need to do is explore the Word.
What does the Bible say about trusting God’s plan?
The Bible has a lot to say about trusting in the Lord. But, let me start with one thing it doesn’t say— it never says that it’s going to be easy. Through the many lives we read about in the pages of Scripture— Abraham and Sarah, David, Paul, Peter, Job, Daniel— we see clearly that God isn’t concerned with how light of a journey it will be for us. He protects us, but that doesn’t mean we’ll never face trials. Trusting Him always comes with a cost, but He is always there traveling with us, and it’s worth it. The more we trust, the more we grow in Him. And, news flash— He isn’t especially concerned with our happiness. He’s concerned with our holiness.
Trusting God’s plan starts with knowing who God truly is, and acknowledging that you are fully known by Him.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock. (Isaiah 26:4)
Countless times in the Psalms, the Lord is referred to as our rock, salvation, help, and protection. It is under the shadow of His wings that we find refuge. The God who created the universe is the same God who knit you together in your mother’s womb. He’s in the big picture, and He’s in the details. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and fully in control.
This same God tells you that in His book, they were all written– the days fashioned for you when as yet there were none of them (Psalm 139:16). He knows your beginning and end– and everything in between.
It’s important to start with these truths because without meditating on who God truly is, you can jump straight to questioning why He is doing what He is doing. But, when you remember who He is, and how deeply He knows you, your perspective can be in the right place.
Trusting God’s plan means you commit your way to Him.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (Psalm 37:5)
Even when the steps you need to take don’t make sense, or if the Lord tells you to go North, but you think you should go South– when you fully trust Him, you commit your way to Him. You do this because you know Him, and you know that He has your best interest at heart. It may not be what you think is best for you, but remember, His plans and purposes always end in something good for you (Romans 8:28), and exist to bring Him glory.
Committing your way to the Lord means that you relinquish your desire to take control and create the map yourself. It’s God’s map, God’s plans, and God’s compass. Let Him direct your steps, knowing that He’ll take you in the right direction.
Trusting God’s plan means that YOU continually look to Him for guidance.
Let me hear Your faithfulness in the morning,
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143.8)
You’ve committed our steps to Him, but wait– that path over there looks shiny and sparkly. It looks a little easier; less rugged. Perhaps that’s the way to go?
Ever have thoughts like this? You allow God to direct you for a time, but then ever so slowly your feet begin to shuffle off His path as you create your own. As the Psalmist says, remember that the Lord is faithful. He’ll remind you of His faithfulness anytime you ask.
Inquire of Him the way in which you should walk. This isn’t a one-time thing; this is ongoing, constant communication with the Lord. He’ll not only show you the path to take but also how to maneuver it. He’ll give you the wisdom you need and guide you every step of the way.
Why Is it important to Trust God’s plan?
You can learn all you want about trusting in the Lord, but if you don’t make the decision to actually be obedient, what profit is it to you? You do need to understand the “why”, because yes— you do have a choice.
If you aren’t trusting God’s plans, by default, you are trusting in your own plans or in someone else’s.
Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)
James brings up the point that you don’t know what our life will be like tomorrow. Everything happens according to the Lord’s will. Although that doesn’t mean you should live a life flying by the seat of your pants or just go with the flow, taking things as they come, you still need to acknowledge that the Lord is the one fully in control, directing your steps. And, allow Him to do so. He is the one orchestrating the show.
Our thoughts are not above His thoughts, and the truth is, He is the only one with the complete, bird’s eye view. We can only see what is right in front of us, no matter how much planning for the future we do.
So, no– there is nothing wrong with making plans, booking dates, or writing in your planner. However, just realize that God has the final say and it’s best to be ready and willing to be flexible at every moment. In other words, write the plans of your life in pencil because God is the only one who holds the ink pen.
Jesus is the Same yesterday, today, and forever
Although you may be going through a time in your life when you see nothing happening– no fruit, no results, no change, and things seem desolate– God is still the same.
God is still praiseworthy.
You can still rejoice in the Lord.
You can still find joy in Him as the God of your salvation.
He is still your strength.
Trusting God when you don’t understand
Even though the truths mentioned above sound all well and good, when you’re in the thick of things and going through trials, they can be hard to walk out. I believe that’s one of the reasons the word “trust” is mentioned in the Bible well over 100 times. God knows you. He knows that as you go through life, you need the constant reminder to not only trust Him but the reminder that He is always with you.
God has bigger purposes and plans that you can’t always see and understand. This is why He tells us to “lean not on our own understanding”.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
We’ve gone through times in my family where our kids’ behavior has been difficult for quite some time, and it seems that no matter what we as parents do, nothing changes.
Perhaps things are a bit chaotic at your job, and you’re doing your best, but you just can’t seem to move ahead or get the work done.
Maybe you’re going through a loss, a deep pain, or rejection, and you can’t see the end. You can’t quite see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.
Perhaps you’re single and deeply longing to be married. You feel you’ve been waiting forever and have stopped believing that you’ll ever find the one.
Or, there’s a struggle in your marriage. You fight and make amends for a time, but in the long run, you’re growing more apart than together.
Whatever the case may be, the circumstances in your life right now are not a surprise to the Lord. Sometimes you can’t see what’s going on behind the scenes in God’s plans and purposes for your family or your life. However, he’s still the Playwrite, the Author, the Orchestrator, and Director. He knows what characters should enter for which scenes. It’s your job to simply follow the script (the Holy Spirit’s promptings in your life as He directs your steps).
You see, it’s much easier to accept the fact that it’s ok that you don’t understand circumstances when you first accept that you are not the one in charge.
A Lesson from Habakkuk
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
The book of Habakkuk begins with the prophet crying out to the Lord. He didn’t initially understand why God would use the Chaldeans and their wickedness to bring judgment on His chosen people. If you’ve never read it or don’t remember, you can find a good summary of the book here. Just like Habakkuk, sometimes we don’t realize why God allows certain things to happen in our life the way they do.
During those times, you may want God to “do something,” and maybe there have been times when you’ve wondered why He “hasn’t.”
These verses above from Habakkuk 3 remind me that God is fully in control, even during the times when I honestly feel like our parenting is in vain. The fig tree isn’t blossoming and there is no fruit on the vines. These tangible things I look for can’t be seen, yet God is working behind the scenes.
And it’s the same for you.
He’s working behind the scenes in your life– growing your faith, changing your heart, leading you closer to Him, and preparing you for what He has next.
For me, maybe this challenging time with our kids’ behavior is being used by the Lord to help me learn to better walk in the Spirit in my parenting. Perhaps the purpose behind this time of “defeat” is bigger than you can understand or even realize. I think the Israelites felt the same way when they were invaded. As God’s chosen people, I bet they wondered how in the world this could happen to them.
Yet, the Chaldean invasion wasn’t the end of the story for Israel, and this time of what you’re going through isn’t the end of your story either.
What is God’s perspective?
Like me, and like Habakkuk, you need the Lord’s perspective in all of this.
I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected. (Habakkuk 2:1)
Habakkuk brought some tough questions before the Lord. He was honest and open. Not only did he expect the Lord to answer Him (2:1), but he was also willing to wait on the Lord for His response. Habakkuk knew that his perspective was more than likely wrong and that the Lord would correct him. He didn’t come to the Lord from the angle of, “God, you’re wrong for doing it this way.” He trusted God’s sovereignty.
Simply praying for God to step in and do His work brings a desire in your heart to release all trust to Him.
Lord, I have heard the report about You, and I was afraid.
Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known. (Habakkuk 3:2)
The beginning of Habakkuk’s prayer in chapter 3 spoke to me because I felt the Lord saying that I need to just pray and let the Lord work. Perhaps that is what we all need to do.
Habakkuk called for a revival. He’d seen how the people responded to the Lord’s work in the past when things were good, and he asked God to do it again.
When our kids’ behavior is difficult for a time and nothing is changing, I can pray for a revival in their hearts, specifically in the area of their behavior. What the Lord can do in their hearts is more powerful than anything I could do. And, what the Lord can do in your life during this trial is more powerful than anything you can do.
Revival is an act of God, not man.
Let God do His work and allow Him to have His way in your life, knowing that no time period of trials is outside of His purposes.
we can trust god in all circumstances
Sister, let’s not lean on our own understanding but trust in the Lord instead. He knows all of our days and He never fails us. Seek His perspective in all things, and remember that He is good all the time.
Bible Verses About Trusting God
The Lord is able to do all things. He is above all, sovereign and totally in control. We have no reason not to trust Him, yet in our flesh and our human nature, oftentimes we don’t. We all need a little help.
Click the link to download your FREE printable: Bible Verses About Trusting God. Hang it on the fridge, tape it to your mirror, tuck it in your Bible, or put it in your daily planner to remind you to trust in the Lord!
CLICK HERE TO Download your free printable!
As I said, we all need a little help sometimes remembering to trust in the Lord! Share this post with a friend, co-worker, sister, daughter, or mom!
What are your favorite verses about trusting in the Lord? Comment below and let me know!
