Place Your Trust in God
Now let's be honest, there are some things on our list of worries that we can't take action on. They are truly beyond our control. Yes, we can pray about them but we can't do anything about them. What do we do about that?
This is where we can make a choice to place our trust in God. The wisdom of Proverbs puts it this way (Proverbs 3:5-6):
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." NLT
Just like the birds of the air and the lilies of the field in Jesus' teaching, we have a Father who watches over us and cares for us. This belief enables us to accept uncertainty and the things in life beyond our control.
Our life is not subject to luck, fate or chance. There is a sovereign God who rules our world and the daily aspects of our life.
Once again, we quote the apostle Paul who wrote (Romans 8:28):
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." NASB
Notice what it does NOT say:
- It does NOT say that "God causes all things". He doesn't. We make choices and so do other people. There are other forces at work in the world.
- It does NOT say that "all things are good". They are not. Sickness is not good nor are accidents nor is divorce nor is redundancy or poverty or war or death.
- It does NOT say that "all things have a happy ending." They don't. Not every business succeeds, not every team wins, not each relationship lasts forever, not every venture is incident free.
BUT God does cause all things – the good, the bad and the ugly – to work for an ultimate purpose for those who love him.
Think of the biblical character Joseph. He was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. He spent 13 long years in prison. Eventually, when he was reunited with his brothers he said this: "You meant it for evil (what had happened was wrong and painful, it was not 'good') … but God meant it for good (he used it for a higher purpose)." That's a powerful statement of trust in God's ability to orchestrate the story of our lives for something far greater.
Are there some worries in your life today that are calling out a bold choice from you to trust God … in spite of their pain and difficulty?
God can be trusted. Like Aslan the lion in C.S. Lewis' series The Chronicles of Narnia, God is not 'safe' (tame) but he is 'good'.