How do you walk by faith when it seems like everything in your world is falling apart? How do you make that decision to step into an unknown future and leave behind the comfort and security of a life you’re content with and that you’ve known for a long time? I recently asked myself these very questions as I transitioned from a job that I’ve spent over a decade doing into a brand new opportunity. Exciting? Yes, absolutely! Scary? Yes, absolutely! But then again, life is full of changes. Relationships. Jobs. Marriage. Kids. School. Bosses. Coworkers. And the list goes on and on.
So going back to my original question, how do you keep your trust in The Lord instead of getting mad when His timing is evidently different than your own? One of the main things that I’ve leaned on is memorizing God’s promises from His Word. In an uncertain world, The Bible is the best place to find certainty and security, which is grounded in promises directly from God. Wisdom (James 1:5), peace that only He can bring (Psalm 85:8) and rest for the weary (Matthew 11:28) are just a few you’ll find.
It’s amazing how an unknown future and absolute dependence on God can make you lean in more intensely into His presence than at normal, more stable and predictable times. I recently committed to fasting for a period of time with a group of other men so that I could grow closer to The Lord. I’m learning more and more that it is precisely this dependency on God that continues to build my faith, my endurance and my love for Him over time. You simply cannot know Him fully without putting your trust in Him fully.
Talking about trust makes me think about taking my son to school for the first day, from Kindergarten through Second Grade. Even though he loved me with all of his heart and knew me from his daily walk with me, he still cried and was scared on his first day for each of those grades. I remember thinking to myself “God, please let the lessons I’ve taught him from what you’ve taught me about facing my fears and trusting in You become real to him and comfort him when I leave!” I remember wiping away his tears as I prayed with him each time to depend on God even when his earthly Daddy couldn’t be with him. Then I wiped away my own tears as I got in the car and drove away! And of course, he was still living, breathing and excited about his new teacher and friends by the time I got home from work! However, I noticed that by the time that he started Third Grade, something was different about him. He was no longer scared! You see, he had walked through enough fires and changes and tears and trials and celebrations with me over time that he knew he could trust me when I told him that everything was going to be okay. He knew that both his earthly and Heavenly Father love him beyond what he can imagine and there was no fear in his heart anymore when it came to first days at school!
So, I know from my own personal experience, that even though sometimes it takes awhile for me to trust in The Lord, it has become easier the more that I’ve gotten to know Him. The more I spend time with Him. The more I step out in faith when prompted by The Holy Spirit. The more times that I look back in my journal and take note of the times The Lord has come through for me when I needed Him most, my faith can’t help but grow in Him. He is always faithful! There are many things that we could talk about here related to this question but I find that if you will just give Him your heart and time everyday on a consistent basis, over time you will continue to grow in your trust and your walk with Him. The more you know Him, the more you will find out just how much He loves you!
Ephesians 3:17-19- “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— (19) to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”