by Shayla Asselin
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Psalm 3:5
Have you ever thought, “This is not what I had planned for my life.”
Cancer.
Widow.
Lonely.
Barren.
Unemployed.
Divorced.
Have you ever questioned God? “Are You there? Do You hear my prayers?” If you have, you’re not alone. I’ve prayed prayers that seemed to hit the ceiling and come crashing back down. Even King David cried out in Psalms 13:1, “How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” In those moments of brokenness, it’s easy to pray for God to take away the pain, but what if that isn’t God’s will?
Sometimes we question whether or not God hears us by how He answers our requests. If I want God to take the problem away, but God wants me to grow through it instead, I jump to the conclusion that He hasn’t heard me.
The truth is God always hears the prayers of the righteous. The problem is we don’t always like the way God answers our prayers.
Often, after we conclude that God isn’t listening to us, we take matters into our own hands. I’ve been there and done that. We would probably never verbalize this, but our actions shout to God, “Fine. I’ll handle this myself.”
Hypothetically speaking, if God really couldn’t handle the problem, why do we think we can?
God created the heavens and the earth. He stretched the northern sky over empty space. The earth hangs on nothing but His command. He set a boundary between day and night. He calmed the raging sea with just three words - “Peace be still.” He sees the sparrow when it falls. He knew you before you were born. He holds the whole world in His hand. To sum it up, Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.” It sounds like He’s the most qualified person to handle the problems of life...not me.
Trust God’s process. Let go and let God. Sometimes, we act like God can only do the miraculous if we’re involved in the process. But what we’re really doing is wasting time, energy, and emotions trying to fight these battles by ourselves. All the while, God wants to work it out in our favor. So, what we need to do is step aside and let Him work. When we try to work it out, we limit the outcome to our ability. But, when we give it over to God, He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ever ask or think. Don’t put God in a box the size of your imaginations. Romans 11:33 says that God’s ways are past finding out. There will be situations in life we will never understand because we're not God. If we understood and could fix everything, why would we ever turn to God?
God shows us that He is in control by allowing us to encounter things we can’t control.
So, what do we do when life throws us a curveball? I won’t say it’s easy, but the answer is simple. All we have to do is trust Him. There’s a multitude of witnesses who can testify that Jesus never fails. He never has. He never will.
He sees the little sparrow when it falls, so I know He won’t forget you - His child. Friend, God didn’t create you to leave you.
Psalm 34:18 reads, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart…”
I heard a song* last week that fits my thoughts so well and I wanted to share some of the words with you.
Hold on. Don’t give up. Don’t you worry, you don’t have to cry. God sees what you’re going through. Be still, don’t question it. For these obstacles, they were allowed. He wants to take you higher if you hold on. God is willing, and He's able. This didn't catch Him by surprise. So if we would trust Him and just step aside. He is faithful. My God is faithful to do what He said He would do. If He said it, I believe it. There is nothing He can’t do. Stand on His Word. Cast your cares on Him. He knows and He loves you. If you would step aside and get out of His way, my God will fix it for you. Cast your cares on Him. Lean on Him and know that God will work it out.
Friend, whatever you're battling, whatever is keeping you up at night, whatever is causing you to stress - give it over to The Lord. He is working on your behalf. Rest in the peace that passes all understanding. "God sees what you're going through. He is willing. He is able. This didn't catch Him by surprise. Trust Him and step aside."
*Songwriters: Ronnie Garrett / Herb Magwood / Renee Morris / Wirlie Morris / Tamika Scott
Step Aside lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
