Trusting God – The Will to Wake Up

Where Will God’s Light Lead?

God welcomes us back to Him.

Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.
²You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?
³Send me your light and your faithful care,
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you dwell.
⁴Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
    O God, my God.

⁵Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

Psalm 43 (NIV)

Yesterday was one of those days. The kind that tempted me to give into discouragement and wonder whether good days will always be followed by discouraging ones.

But this morning, God brought me to this scripture. David, the psalmist in this passage, was struggling with deep discouragement and despair. He felt surrounded by darkness and even asked God, “Why have you rejected me?”

When we are feeling discouraged or confused by life, God welcomes our questions. But rather than allowing hard questions to deconstruct our faith, what if we frame those questions around what we know to be true about God?

Even as David asked God why He rejected him, he remembered that God was his stronghold. He didn’t stay stuck in confusion over God’s character; he asked God to lead him again.

Where will God lead us every time we ask?

Straight back to Him.

Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 1:3 (NIV)

By surrendering to God’s leading, David found himself drawn close to God again. Though he was asking for God’s deliverance from his difficult circumstances, he seemed to recognize that his true longing was to be near his heavenly Father.

God’s light and faithful care softened David’s heart so that he could praise God again. For when we truly recognize God’s presence, we will worship Him.

Reading a passage like this may feel frustrating if you’re not feeling ready to praise God yet. It may feel like another piece of self-help, urging you to just focus on the bright side and hope things will improve.

But God isn’t asking you to plaster on a smile and just pretend that things are better than they really are. In this psalm, David’s hope wasn’t found in his circumstances–it was found in God’s unchanging character.

The next time you’re facing a moment of brokenness, frustration, or despair, consider following David’s example in this psalm:

Go before God and confess the troubling questions in your heart.
Remember God’s character and how He has redeemed situations in the past.
Ask God to lead you back to Him.
Praise God for who He is, while holding onto hope that even if your situation remains difficult, it isn’t eternal. Someday, we will be reunited with God forever in a world without pain or sorrow.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17 (NIV)

Continuing Forward with Hope for the Future

Are you in the middle of a chapter in your life, waiting for God to show up?

A wise person once told me that it’s much easier to share about the trials and struggles of our past, rather than what we’re currently going through.

Perhaps it’s because we know how our past stories end–often in goodness, redemption, or peaceful surrender. Even if those stories end in tragedy, the ending is sealed in our mind.

One of the many reasons why it’s difficult to publicly (whether that be with one other person or an entire group) process our current struggles is because we aren’t quite sure what will happen next.

It reveals our lack of control over our own story.

True confessions time. Over the last few months, it’s been difficult for me to blog regularly for two reasons:

I’ve been writing so much more for my novel writing program (the Author Conservatory, which I shared about in a previous post). This has been a life-changing, transformative experience. Such a blessing in my life!
And the less flattering reason…I’m in the middle of several unfinished chapters in my own life story.

Sometimes I wish I were a character in a book with a clear beginning, middle, and end. A simple growth journey where I find myself whole and healed by the final page.

But God’s more creative than even the best human author. He’s also more patient too, carrying us through every chapter and scene in our life story.

(I have yet to read a book that spans the entire life of a single person, detailing every miniscule moment for pages on end. Probably because none of us would have the patience to read it!)

And yet God chooses to do life with us, every second of every day.

He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalm 121:3-4 (NIV)

This verse has been coming up in my life a lot recently. It’s such a comfort to know that God is watching over us without so much as blinking an eye. No detail goes unnoticed by Him, even the moments that we sometimes wish we could hide from Him.

But God views us, even in our fragile and broken human condition, as His precious children. He wants the best for us, and sometimes that means allowing us to trek further down an unknown path because the end result will lead to further growth and trust in Him.

All our paths are known to Him, even when the sky ahead seems foggy to us.

Perhaps this chapter of your life feels endless. Maybe you’ve been waiting on an answer or the fulfillment of a promise for years.

God welcomes our questions and wonderings, even our complaints. As we call out to Him, may we also remember all that He has done before, proving His faithfulness.

You see, friend, there is beauty and healing in sharing about the past and the present.

For when we remember the past, we also remember God’s unchanging character, and find hope in our present circumstances.

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Deuteronomy 8:2 (NIV)

The Old Testament is filled with reminders to God’s people of all the ways He had already blessed and provided for them. During their forty years in the wilderness, they grew weary and doubted God would fulfill His promises to them. But God remained faithful, even when His people didn’t.

Our God is the same–yesterday, today, and forever. He showed up then, and He will continue to show up for us now.

Let’s continue forward with Him today.

Reflection Questions:

What in your life feels like an unfinished chapter?
How have you been responding to waiting in this season?
How has God provided for you in the past?
Go back to a Bible passage that has brought you comfort or hope in the past. What do you remember about God’s character through this passage?
Is there a safe person in your life who you should share your present struggles with?

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:5 (NIV)

Releasing 2025 into God’s Hands

What does it look like to release as we step into the new year?

Are you someone who enjoys choosing a word of intention at the beginning of the new year?

My word of the year for 2025 was “release.” And wow, has it been applicable. It’s never been clearer to me how God’s the true author of our lives, always a step ahead and paving the path for us to learn, grow, and heal. And sometimes, He uses a specific word to guide us in our walk with Him.

Release has so many meanings for me. Letting go of control, surrendering to God’s will even when it differs from my plans, and saying goodbye to relationships that aren’t healthy anymore.

But if I could leave you with one way to release in 2026, it’s this:

Release your burdens and anxieties onto Jesus. Only He is strong enough to carry them and redeem your broken situations.

What does this look like in practice?

Falling to our knees in prayer, sharing vulnerably with God–both our doubts and reminders of who He is–and asking for His help. Filling our minds with scripture, worship songs, and the wisdom of those further along in their faith journey. Participating in godly community, where safe people can listen to your struggles and offer support.

We aren’t the heroes of our own stories–and thank goodness, because that would be such a burden to bear.

God is the hero. Only He can provide, protect, and heal. He longs for us to choose His love and, overflowing with the Spirit, spread that love to others.

Perhaps reflecting on 2025 brings you shame and discouragement. God is big enough to hold your regrets, broken dreams, and shattered faith.

Or maybe 2025 was a year of celebration and victory for you. Praise God for His faithfulness and record all His wondrous works. This will encourage you both now, and when harder times come.

God is faithful through it all.

As we step into the new year, I hope you experience God’s deep, unfailing love for you. Trust in Him, that no matter the unknowns, He will always care for you, His precious child.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Praise be to the Lord,
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.
⁷The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.

⁸The Lord is the strength of his people,
    a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
⁹Save your people and bless your inheritance;
    be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Psalm 28:6-9 (NIV)

Who is Guarding Your Heart?

Let’s release our hearts to God, the only one who can heal us.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

~ Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Last year, my heart felt tender. After experiencing betrayal and rejection from a once-close family member, it was as if my heart was on a chopping block and every person in my life was given a knife to use at their own discretion.

Some chose to lay down their knives and offer bandages instead. But others dug deeper into my open wounds with their sharp blades.

Over time, my heart grew tough in an effort to protect itself. If I’m made of metal, a knife can’t slice through and damage me any further.

It worked, in a sense. Insensitive words and painful situations didn’t have the same impact on me. I felt emboldened to go out into the world and decide who was worthy of my trust.

But guarding my heart on my own strength came at a great loss–to myself and to those around me.

After training my heart not to feel, I struggled to empathize with my friends when they shared their heartbreaks with me. I began to scrutinize every relationship, trying to judge whether or not these people mirrored any traits from my past offenders. I alone had to determine whether or not I was safe.

Living in a world surrounded by concrete walls isn’t really living at all.

It felt as if I had lost the best parts of myself, in addition to doubting my community. God calls us to love others, but how could I love–an extremely vulnerable action–when I couldn’t trust?

So then…was I failing God?

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

Thankfully, God didn’t leave me in this empty, searching place. He drew me closer to Him through His Word and teaching, as well as the faithfulness of friends who didn’t give up on me.

Most importantly, He reminded me that I’m not in charge of guarding my own heart.

Yes, we must exercise discernment in our lives. But we must surrender our hearts to God so that He can protect us. He’s the only one who can provide us security and safety while allowing our hearts to remain moldable and open to love.

Surrender requires sacrificing our own safety net and battle plan. But we’re releasing ourselves to the only One in control, who has the greatest plan.

When we try to guard our own hearts, we end up hardening them instead. A hardened heart isn’t open to love or transformation, but God will still accept your hardened heart and turn it back to flesh.

God doesn’t promise a life free from suffering and pain, even when we surrender our hearts to Him. But He does promise peace through Jesus, who has already overcome the world.

When we rely on His grace and peace for our security, rooting ourselves in being children of God rather than allowing others to determine our worth, we will find our hearts’ desire.

And that, my friend, is the unconditional and unchanging love of Jesus.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

If you are weary and broken, go to Him.

If you are empty and depleted, go to Him.

If you are rejoicing and hope-filled, go to Him.

If you don’t know who you are or what comes next, go to Him.

Jesus is waiting with open arms to receive you. He is worthy of our trust. ❤

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26

My Season of Surrender

How might God be calling you to surrender today?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Surrender. An uncomfortable word in a society that prides itself on independence, personal victory, and chasing dreams.

I won’t pretend that surrendering is easy. I struggle with it every day. It involves sacrificing everything–our desires, thoughts, relationships, lives–to God.

While He is worthy of our lives (after all, He created us), it can be difficult to trust Him when we can’t see Him in physical form. We aren’t often enlightened with a glimpse of our future. We must simply present each decision to the Lord and trust that His way is better than our own.

Spoiler alert: my “season” of surrender wasn’t a period of months or years. It was just the beginning of a lifetime of choosing God over myself.

My journey to surrender began with a choice rooted in faith. I quit my job–at a church. This not only meant a loss of income/stability, but I walked away from my church community without a clear path of where God wanted me next. I just knew He was calling me away, and I had to say yes to the first step before I could take the next step.

The first thing I did after my exit interview was load up the dishwasher while listening to Hillsong’s worship song, I Surrender. As I sung along, my broken melody wasn’t mere words. It was a promise to God that from this day forward, I would try to surrender.

God’s grace is sufficient, even when we fail to surrender and choose our own path. I am so thankful, since I have fallen short of surrender time and again.

Surrendering to God has led me to godly community, but not in the way I would’ve chosen.

At the start of my church search, if you had asked me to describe what I was looking for in a new church, I would’ve answered “young adult community.” But God led me to a church with very few young adults. He’s affirmed over and over that this is where He wants me to be–which has led to healing, growth, and a shift in perspective.

In my professional life, I planned to secure a full-time job and publish my books after college. However, I experienced a series of rejections, which led me to join another writing program while continuing in my part-time job instead. God showed me that He is going to provide in unorthodox ways, and I need to deepen my skills before I can publish the stories He’s placed on my heart.

God’s choice for us is often the humble choice. The choice with less earthly glory or praise. The path that follows this choice will involve detours and pitstops. And it always requires trust and reliance on God.

My journey began two years ago, and each day I’m given the same choice. Will I release my desire for control in order to embrace God’s plan for me?

How might God be calling you to surrender today?

His plan for you is far more beautiful than anything you could plan for yourself. Even if the road ahead seems bleary, trust that the end result will lead to a closer relationship with your heavenly Father, who loves you eternally.

To humans belong the plans of the heart,
    but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.

²All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
    but motives are weighed by the Lord.

³Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans.

⁴The Lord works out everything to its proper end—
    even the wicked for a day of disaster.

⁵The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
    Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

⁶Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
    through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.

⁷When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
    he causes their enemies to make peace with them.

⁸Better a little with righteousness
    than much gain with injustice.

⁹In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:1-9 (NIV)

God Cares for You

Last weekend when my plans fell through, God reminded me of His perfect plan. I hope my story encourages you today!

After a week riddled with disappointments and frustrations, I wanted nothing more than to enjoy our family road trip in peace.

The day started off as planned. We arrived at the ferry terminal just as the golden rays of sunrise flickered over the rippling ocean waves. During our first several hours on the island, we ate delicious pastries, caught stunning views of the mountains, and even coerced our little dog into going on a hike.

There were little hiccups along the way that threatened my joy, but I held fast to my resolve, even jotting down in my journal that “God’s plan is so much greater than mine.”

The enemy saw that as a challenge.

In the mid-afternoon, we decided we wanted to catch an earlier ferry since the one we had reserved would bring us home after midnight. We could even watch the sunset at a beach on the way home.

My favorite part of every trip is the sunset. It reminds me of God’s beauty and creativity, filling me with His presence and hope.

And boy, did I need some hope after the week I had.

We sat in line for the ferry for almost an hour before cars started their engines. Inch by inch, car by car, I prayed that we’d make it.

But then the cars started circling back. Our line never even got to move.

And the next ferry wasn’t due to arrive for another three hours.

The worst part was, we couldn’t leave the line now that we were already in it. So much for exploring the island, much less seeing the sunset.

I was devastated–much more so than what was probably warranted for the situation. My joy was hinged on this one moment with God, and now even that seemed taken away from me.

After shedding a few tears in the sweltering car, I trekked down to the docks by the terminal. There were many groups of fellow passengers stuck in the same boat. Or rather, wishing we were all on a boat.

Though this should’ve brought some consolation, I was filled with bitterness. Here I was, alone and miserable, while they were laughing and enjoying life together.

As the clock ticked and the ferry was nowhere in sight, my last smidgen of hope that I’d even see a glimpse of the sunset vanished. There were trees blocking my view on either side of the docks.

In truth, I was upset with God. I prayed for weeks that this trip would be meaningful, especially since I haven’t been able to travel in so long. This was supposed to be the highlight of summer, but instead it felt like the climax of a disappointing week.

But God kept nudging my heart. Be patient. Keep waiting. I’m still here.

The sun fully disappeared below the skyline by the time we made it on the ferry. Still, I snatched my camera bag and rushed to the upper deck just in case.

And sure enough, God was there.

In a brilliant display of deep oranges and blues, twilight fell upon the ocean as our ferry chugged away from shore. It was so incredibly beautiful, it took my breath away.

It wasn’t the sunset, but it was even more special. And somehow, it lasted for an entire hour–our whole ferry ride back–becoming even more magnificent with each passing minute. (Enjoy my snapshot of this view in the featured image!)

Many of my insecurities are rooted in the fear of missing out. I’ve often struggled with feeling like I’m not where I want to be at this stage of my life.

But God was reminding me, with a simple yet elegant night sky, that He cares for me. His plan is better than mine because He thinks in eternal terms, while I am stuck with my limited understanding.

And His perfect plan is worth waiting for.

So how can we wait without becoming idle or restless?

By praying that God prepares us for what’s to come. We are already living out His will for us, even on the days that feel mundane. As we grow in reliance on God, we will become more and more like Jesus, which is the ultimate goal of God’s plan.

It’s easy to forget who God is, and thus doubt that He knows what He’s doing. But God is perfect in every way, which means we can trust Him. He created us and loves us more than we’ll ever be able to comprehend.

My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.

Jeremiah 24:6 (NIV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

God Knows What’s Best for You

Do you trust Him when His plans don’t align with yours?

Who can fathom the Spirit* of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?

Isaiah 40:13 (NIV)

Let’s be honest here: raise your hand if you’ve ever tried to tell God what to do.

I know my hand is raised. (Well, metaphorically–I’m using both hands to type!)

When we’re experiencing a difficult situation or struggling to reconcile with a frustrating person, it’s easy to go to God in prayer and request that He fix our problems using our methods.

But who are we to instruct God?

Telling God how to solve our problems insinuates that we know better than God, the one who created us, who redeems and restores us, and who is perfect.

Wouldn’t you rather receive the perfect solution of the one who loves you unconditionally and knows everything, than the solution you’ve concocted through limited understanding?

Before I continue, I need to make it clear that God loves hearing from you, broken prayers included. Our earthly prayers will never be perfect because we are all broken people, and that’s okay. The Holy Spirit translates our prayers to our heavenly Father so that He knows what we need.

And even though we will never grasp the fullness of God while on earth–that would literally blow our minds!–there is hope that the longer we walk with Him, the more we may notice God working.

Paul references our intro verse, Isaiah 40:13, in a letter to the church of Corinth:

The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”**

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:15-16

We can have hope that because God’s Spirit dwells in us, we may begin to understand how God works the longer we know Him.

This does not mean we can manipulate Him or guess His every next move. Rather, when we value what God values–which drastically differs from earthly values–we will have peace even when our plans fail because we trust that God’s plans are far better.

But what does trusting God’s plan look like on a day-to-day basis?

It might mean not comparing yourself to a friend who has a higher paying job than you, because you trust that God will meet all your needs.

Or perhaps it means finding joy in your singleness while you wait on God to provide the right person for you, having peace that you are never alone.

Maybe it’s even extending grace to someone who has hurt you because you recognize how much grace you’ve already received through the sacrifice of Jesus for your sins.

Lately, God’s been challenging me to trust Him through my job search process. I crave the security that having another job would provide, but God’s been nudging me to remember that He has and will always meet all my needs. The only job worth pursuing is the one He has called me to pursue…even if it takes experiencing multiple rejections to get there.

How is God calling you to trust Him today?

Remember that God is faithful, even when He might feel far away or situations seem too big for Him to handle. Everything will come together according to His wonderful plans and purposes for us.

In the waiting, God promises His love and peace, which will never fade away. ❤

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:9

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

1 Corinthians 1:28-30

The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Footnotes:

*or “mind”

**reference to Isaiah 40:13

All Scripture is in NIV.

Eternal Hope

Reflecting on 2024 as we anticipate the coming year.

I’ll be honest with you: 2024 has been a rough year.

Globally, division, violence, and injustice seem never ending. Personally, it’s been a year of loss, disappointment, and uncertainty.

But it’s also been a year where I’ve witnessed God’s presence and divine intervention like never before.

My word of the year was imagine. And boy, so many things–both good and bad–have happened this year that I never could’ve imagined. But through it all, God has been faithful. His love never changes, even when our circumstances do.

I’ve often struggled with placing my peace, joy, and hope in my circumstances even though in mere seconds, all that can change. So how can we remain hopeful–even having the faith to imagine brighter days–when life is uncertain?

By rooting our hope in the One who does not change–God.

There are many promises in the Bible that remind us of God’s everlasting qualities. Here are a few from the Psalms that will hopefully bring you hope as we enter a new year:

God has always existed and will always exist

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Psalm 90:2 (NIV)

As we go through life, we view things with our limited perception of the world and what could lie ahead. But God, who always was and always will be, has seen it all! Nothing can faze Him. When we take His hand and allow Him to lead us through life, we can walk with more confident strides.

God’s love never fades

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children–

with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

Psalm 103:17-18 (NIV)

When we experience rejection or loss, we may begin to fear that someday others in our lives will leave and/or stop loving us. While we can’t control how others might hurt us, we can find peace knowing that our perfect Father will always love us. And as His children, we can love Him back by following in His ways.

God’s word remains holy

Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

Psalm 119:142 (NIV)

In a world where truth is treated as subjective, it can be overwhelming to read the news or decipher tricky conversations. Sometimes it’s hard to even know what’s real! But thankfully, God’s word is alive and active, always there to guide us and never outdated. We can turn to it for answers, and ask the Spirit to direct our reading of the Bible.

God’s kingdom will last forever

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Psalm 145:13 (NIV)

As the earth groans and crumbles, as people come and go, and as we desperately search for security, we can have courage knowing that we are part of a kingdom that will last forever. A perfect kingdom without brokenness, pain, or heartbreak. While we may not be able to see this kingdom fully on Earth, we can participate in God’s holy work by blessing others with His love and acting on His truth.

You may be scared of where God is leading you in the coming year, but take heart knowing that He who promised is faithful. God will never let you out of His sight. Converse with Him through every step you take, and soon you may start to see where the path leads.

Our light will never be extinguished when its source is our faithful God, who takes such wonderful care of us.

If you doubt this, call out to God. Express your feelings and fears. Trust that He listens to you, and nothing is out of His control.

No matter what 2025 brings, I pray that we may all experience God’s grace, peace, and love through every season.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

Discerning God’s Call

Do you ever wish you could directly hear God’s calling on your life?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel a little jealous of the early Christians, mainly because of how clearly they heard God’s calling.

Take the disciple Philip, for example. The Holy Spirit whisked him away from one location to the next so that he would reach the exact people he was meant to reach (Acts 8:26-40). He likely didn’t spend days, weeks, months, or years on his knees asking God where he was meant to go. He was just sent!

In many ways, the early church’s relationship with God resembles the Israelites’ relationship with Him in the Old Testament. They heard God’s voice audibly and/or through His appointed prophets. They always knew what He wanted them to do, even if they unfortunately didn’t obey Him.

As I’ve been learning how to discern in my own life (without God’s audible voice telling me what to do), I came across this passage:

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ⁷When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ⁸So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

– Acts 16: 6-10 (NIV)

Notice these phrases:

“having been kept by the Holy Spirit”
“but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to”
“concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them”

I was reminded through this passage that God spoke to the early church in different ways and He continues to speak to us in different ways, too. And even when He spoke directly to them through visions or the Spirit, they still had to exercise patience and discernment.

The Christians thought they were supposed to preach in one location, only for the Spirit to call them elsewhere. They might’ve felt frustrated or confused at first, wondering why God would tell them no. But they obeyed, allowing themselves to finally hear a direct calling from God.

You might’ve noticed that the vision didn’t come overnight. They traveled to multiple places, repeatedly being prevented by the Spirit (I’m curious what that looked like), from spreading the good news there. But once they heard the call, they “got ready at once,” or in some translations, “immediately” left for Macedonia.

The Greek translation for “calling” in verse 10 means “to call to one’s self, to summon, to invite”. When we wait and listen patiently for God’s call, we aren’t just waiting to hear what task He has in store for us. We are being invited into God’s presence. When we say yes to His call, we are being drawn closer to God’s own self.

Just sit with that for a moment. We, God’s mere creation, are given the invitation to be brought to God’s own self.

Even if that invitation is brought to us differently than it was in the past, it’s still the same invitation. An invitation to not only do God’s work, but to be part of God’s family.

Today, we have many ways to hear God’s voice, even if they feel less direct than in the past.

Here are a few examples:

Reading the Bible and getting to know God’s character and teachings so that we can discern what God might call us to do versus what would be sinful.
Spending time in Christian community and receiving wise counsel from people God chooses to speak through.
Praying to God directly and spending time in God’s presence, getting to know Him better so that we can become more like Him.
And most of all, as believers we still have the Holy Spirit living inside us.

The Spirit moves in many ways, whether through the above avenues, or through visions, prophetic words, or miracles. While we shouldn’t necessarily expect these less common things to happen, we should never place limits on what the Spirit can do. Even having the Spirit inside of us is supernatural in and of itself.

We often talk about how the Holy Spirit is living inside of us, but the Spirit is not limited to our bodies’ capabilities. When we realize we are just one little sliver of a reflection of God, as we are created in His image, we can tap into the supernatural fruits the Spirit offers: love, joy, peace and patience, to name a few.

I encourage you to spend time with God today and ask Him how He might be leading you. Have peace in the process, knowing that all good things take time. And being in God’s presence is the best thing of all.

Surrendering Your Tomorrows

Ask God to help you release your plans and unknowns into His hands.

When you think about the future, how do you feel?

You might feel excited about all your plans. You might feel anxious by your lack of plans. You might feel exhausted thinking about even the prospect of making plans.

While planning can help us make good use of our time, we must hold our plans lightly. Following Jesus requires us to take each step forward in His footsteps, even if they lead down a path we didn’t plan to walk through. When we commit to following Jesus, we enter into the process of surrendering our will to Him over and over again.

But what does surrendering our will mean?

In the simplest sense, our will is our plan for our lives. Our plans can involve our hopes and dreams, our greatest fears, and even the little desires we lock tight in our hearts.

When we surrender our will to Jesus, we can tell Him what we want to do, but we are open to change course as He directs. This takes a great deal of trust since essentially we are giving Jesus the most valuable thing we have: our lives.

But since Jesus was the one who gave us life, He knows how to best use our lives to grow and shape us into beacons of His light and love.

There are so many beautiful aspects of surrendering to Jesus, even though it is challenging and requires sacrifice. Jesus’ will for us is far greater than we could ever imagine, which means when you offer your life to Him, you will be surprised by how Jesus can transform you.

There are two major temptations to avoid when considering your future, which we are warned about in the Bible.

The first is fearing for tomorrow:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

– Matthew 6:34

The second is boasting about your plans:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

– James 4:13-14

It is natural to be worried about the unknown, but when you are in constant panic about it, you are grasping for your will back, not ready to trust Jesus fully.

It is okay if you are at the stage of learning not to fear. I am still working through that as well. Surrendering is a process, not a one-time decision.

There will be some seasons that are easier to trust Jesus than others, but Jesus is ready and willing to walk alongside you through the journey of learning to trust in Him.

It is also natural to get excited about the future, which is wonderful and even an act of trust all on its own. But when we start to boast about our plans, we turn the spotlight back on ourselves.

We have a limited knowledge of the future and we must take life day by day. If we get too far ahead of ourselves, we may fall into the trap of pride and find that we are trusting in our own plans again rather than God’s.

Today, as you think about tomorrow and the days that follow it, ask yourself what aspects of your life are you still worried about? What situations or relationships or opportunities are you struggling to surrender to God?

Pray and ask Him to help you release your future into His hands. And who knows? You may be taken on a path going the opposite direction, but a path better suited for God’s wonderful purposes in store for you.

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

– James 4:15

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.

– James 4:7-8