Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV)
It was a dark and rainy night as I drove home from a nearby city. My then 3-year-old daughter Abby lay asleep in her car-seat next to me.
Because of the bad weather, I decided to bypass the usual way and take a different, more lighted road home. Just as I whipped our Ford Explorer in a different direction, Abby awoke.
“We’re lost aren’t we, Mommy?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.
“No, honey. Mommy’s just taking a different route home tonight.”
I could see the doubt in Abby’s eyes as headlights from a passing car illuminated our vehicle.
After a few more minutes, she said, “I don’t think this is the right way.”
“Ab, do you trust me enough to try it my way?”
As I uttered those words, conviction covered me like a heavy blanket. The Holy Spirit reminded me how I’d questioned God earlier that week.
I knew in my heart that I was supposed to wait for the freelance writing job God had promised me, but a good fulltime journalistic opportunity was dangling in front of me.
I wasn’t sure whether or not to take that fulltime job and hope that God would bless it anyway, or wait for the job God had promised me, yet had been such a long time coming.
Maybe God had changed his mind, I’d reasoned earlier that week.
So that night, I cried out: “God, what’s going on? The freelance job that I felt you had for me doesn’t appear to be any closer to being mine than it was six months ago.
“Do you really think I should let this full-time writing opportunity pass me by? You know, we’re really hurting for money right now. What if I turn down this job and the other one never comes my way?”
Just then, I heard my Heavenly Father say–not audibly but in that still, small voice: “Michelle, do you trust me enough to try it My way?”
Tears streamed down my face, keeping time with the raindrops on the windshield. I thanked God for being so patient with my fledgling faith.
The following day, I turned down the full-time job that offered an immediate solution to our financial situation, trusting God to perform His Word. And, he did–just like he’d promised.
Two weeks later, that steady freelance opportunity was mine, and it paid even more than I had expected! I was so glad I had listened to God and waited on what he had for me.
You see, God always does more than we could ask or think if we’ll only trust in him. Some days I’m better at doing that than others, but I’m learning that God’s ways are always better than mine.
The Bible says in Isaiah 55:8 that his thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways. It goes on to say in verse 9 that as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways higher than our ways, and his thoughts higher than our thoughts.
That’s proven true in my life. Even when I think I’ve figured out the situation from every angle, I haven’t even scratched the surface on God’s infinite wisdom.
I’ve discovered that God’s ways aren’t always the easiest, and sometimes they don’t even make sense to me, but he only asks us to follow him. He doesn’t ask us to figure it out first, and then follow him.
Just like I had asked Abby to trust me enough to do it my way, God wants us to trust him enough to do it his way. If we can just have enough faith to take the first step down God’s path, he’ll gently nudge us the rest of the way.
And at the end of the path, God has our ultimate dream waiting for us. So, don’t settle for second best, and don’t give up on your dream. Be willing to trust God enough to try it his way. You’ll discover that our Heavenly Father really does know best.
Pray this with me: “Father, help me to trust you more and follow you without hesitation. I know that you have the best for me, but I often try to work things out on my own, thinking I can handle it.
I admit today that I can’t handle it, God, and I submit all of my heart, my hopes, my dreams, my family and my life to you. I love you. In the Mighty Name of Your Son, Jesus, Amen.”
