God Blesses us with many gifts and I would venture to say that most of us do not use a fraction of them. How often do we pray, “Lord use me, use me in whatever way that You choose,” or do our prayers sound more like “Lord, these are my plans for today, would you please bless them?” Many times my prayers have sounded more like the latter. I have had a tendency to pray for God to give me direction but when He does, I need multiple signs to confirm that it is definitely from Him. “Is that what You are really telling me to do, Lord?” “Can you give me a sign that it is really You and please make sure that it is unmistakably clear? I think to myself, if Gideon can ask, surely I can, as well.
God wants us to trust Him, to exercise our faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Our God still speaks. The question is, are we really listening. Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Are we questioning His direction simply because what He is asking us to do is not what we would choose for ourselves. Perhaps, we are fearful of the outcome or even the path that lay before us because it appears too rocky. We have a choice to trust our Almighty Sovereign Lord and seek His counsel or choose to be wise in our own eyes and miss out on a wonderful opportunity to honor Him and bring Him glory. Our walk of faith is a showcase of God’s glory. Our full surrender, living in obedience to the Lord, no matter the cost, is an act of worship. This is the example of Christ.
Walking in faith means facing challenges, uncertainties, and sometimes the most difficult of circumstances, with the confidence that God is with us and will never leave us. Trusting in God means leaning into the unknown and believing Him for Who He is and what He can do. He is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent. Because God is all-knowing, all-powerful, present everywhere at all times and perfectly good, we can rest securely in His promises.
Lets us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Hebrews 10:23 NLT
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV
No matter what the situation looks like in our own finite vision, God has the perfect plan for us and it is to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). God is a good, kind, loving and merciful Father and He always knows what is best for His children. We must surrender our need for control and trust the One who holds the depths of the earth in His hand (Psalm 95:4).
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old.Yet I have never seen the the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.Psalm 37:23-25 NLT
Do not put your trust in what you can see with your physical eyes. Trust the vision that God gives you as you spend time in His word and in prayer. He will never direct you to a place where He will not strengthen and sustain you. He blesses our obedience because it pleases Him.
Heavenly Father, we worship You! We adore You! You are our Rock, our Strength, our Hope, our Everything! Thank You for loving us, guiding us and strengthening us. You are so good and merciful to Your children. Thank You for never leaving us or forsaking us, for blessing us beyond anything we could ever ask or imagine. Thank You for giving us Your Word as a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. Please help us to seek You in all things and surrender completely to Your will. Help us to not allow our flesh to get in the way. We desire to walk aligned with You, abiding in Your love. Lord, help us to trust You without borders, knowing that You always know what is best for us. Help us to hear your voice louder than the noise of the world. Thank You, Father for walking with us through every trial and using it for our good and Your glory. We pray for eyes to see and ears to hear so that we may accomplish all that you have purposed for us to do. We love You and give You all the praise and the Glory! In Jesus’ Mighty, Matchless Name, Amen and Amen.
By Lanette Black
IWM Writer and Intercessor
