Trusting God – Page 5 – The Will to Wake Up

Is it Wrong to be Afraid?

We’ve all struggled with fear, and it’s mentioned many times in the Bible to not be afraid. But is the feeling of fear actually wrong?

Whether it’s standing in front of a judgmental crowd, peering over the side of a mountain, or asking someone we like out, we all have struggled with fear before. I’m sure if I asked you to list out five things you’re afraid of, you could list double that. Fear is something I’ve been trying to combat for years. When we’re fearful, we certainly don’t feel good, right? The clammy palms, racing heart, and fitful sleep aren’t particularly pleasant. But does that make fear a sin?

Technically, anything that separates us from God is a sin. That means that perfectly good things, like our careers or loved ones, can become a problem when we place them above God. However, that doesn’t mean they’re inherently sinful or that they will always be a sin once we put God first again.

But there is nothing good about fear. Yes, fear can protect us from things, but I’d like to think of that as intuition more than fear. Intuition, or rather the Holy Spirit’s leading, is what keeps us away from harmful situations such as back alleyways at night or wild parties.

Fear, on the other hand, is the sole culprit when it comes to keeping us from fulfilling our purpose. We don’t reach out to people because we’re afraid of their opinion or reaction. We don’t apply for the more difficult job because we’re afraid we won’t do it well. We don’t share our faith because we’re worried we’ll be seen as weak or part of the stereotypes surrounding Christians.

However, I once heard a quote that said, “A true act of bravery is when we are afraid but do it anyway”. I don’t believe that feeling fear is sinful at all. It’s just a part of how we’re wired. We can’t control when our mind races with doubt or we start picturing the worst case scenarios. But we can control whether or not we allow fear to stop us from doing what we have to do.

That’s when fear becomes a sin: when we use it as an excuse to not do what God is prompting us to do.

This is something I personally struggle with on a regular basis. I allow other people’s opinions, fear of failure, and many other fears that surface at “just the right time” to keep me from believing that God has a perfect plan for me. God will call us to do things that are sacrificial, humbling, embarrassing even, but in the long run, it’s worth it. God promises to use us mightily; He doesn’t promise that it will go the way we want or that it will be easy.

Ask yourself the tough question, how is God calling you out of your comfort zone? Is there someone you need to reach out to? An opportunity to be had? A possession donated?

Sometimes, a lot of times actually, God’s plan doesn’t make much sense to us. But no matter where you are in life, I promise that God is working in you and through you to make a difference. Keep on hoping.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
Isaiah 43:1

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
Psalm 94:19

Song Recommendations:

Keep On Hoping, by Riley Clemmons: https://youtu.be/_GKqi4pFGoM

Same Stars, by Xander Sallows: https://youtu.be/Yyf1iedjWQQ

Why You Don’t Have What You Want

Are you upset right now because you don’t have something that you believe is meant for you? Here is some encouragement.

What is it that you want most in life? A different job? A significant other? A deeper relationship with Jesus?

If I were to ask you why you don’t have that thing, you’d likely come up with a plethora of reasons. Perhaps you don’t believe you’re qualified or attractive enough. Maybe you believe only a theology degree can get you an intimate relationship with Christ.

Though those answers may sound convincing, the truth is, there are two reasons why we don’t have what we want.

The first is pretty self-explanatory: It isn’t meant for us. Sometimes that person who seems perfect is actually the one who would’ve broken your heart had God allowed them to be in your life. Maybe that job isn’t the one that would help you witness to the most people. Whatever the reason may be, Jesus knows it’s better for us to have something or someone else.

The second reason gets a little more complicated: fear.

Did you know that you are at least 20% more attractive than you feel? That’s because we allow ourselves to believe the lie that we aren’t beautiful. In fact, it’s almost easier to believe that we are unattractive than admit that we are created in God’s image. It’s also easier to hide behind the idea that you aren’t good enough or attractive enough to talk to the person you like rather than admit your true feelings.

The same goes for other goals in life. We often say we aren’t qualified rather than go back to school and learn. We would rather say we don’t know than spend time in the Bible finding the answers.

This isn’t laziness– it’s fear.

We fear rejection. We fear conviction. We fear judgement.

I believe that there are two main things that separate people from God: fear and pride. When we cling onto our fears, we forget the truth, that God has a wonderful plan for us and that He can do anything. We believe that we are on our own, with no one there to save us. But actually God has an amazing plan for you and He can use you to do remarkable things.

The saddest thing about fear is that it keeps us from reaching out to others. Have you ever thought about how incredible it felt when someone expressed their appreciation to you or wanted to get to know you? Then how come it’s so hard to reciprocate that action to someone we don’t know very well? Because of fear. We don’t know their reaction.

God doesn’t promise to tell us the results before He calls us to do something. You might experience humiliation or defeat. But in the long run, it will be worth it, because you will have no regrets. You will know that you did what God wanted you to, and that feeling is enough to bring you peace.

Today, ask yourself if there are any practical steps you can take in getting what you want. If God has made it clear to you that this isn’t what’s right for your life, then step away and trust that something better is in store. But if God is calling you to take a leap of faith, then do it. Reach out, share your feelings, learn something new.

We can’t comprehend the incredible things God is doing through us. That’s why we just have to take it on faith and trust the results with Him.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
1 John 4:18

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

Going Off-Course

Taking a lesson from Philip, we’ll be learning how to obey God when He calls us off-course.

As a society, we’ve made the mistake of putting people into categories based on a few personality traits. You’re either an introvert or an extrovert, a planner or a spontaneous person, chill or uptight. Now, obviously based off what my blog was originally created for (the Enneagram), I am not against personality quizzes. I love them! But something we have to keep in mind when categorizing people is making sure we aren’t making assumptions about them based on their “category”.

Now, we all probably can think of the assumptions that come with the most common “either/or” category: Extroverts v.s. Introverts. Technically, the only real difference between the two is that extroverts get their energy from being around people while introverts get it from being alone. But now we just assume extroverts are friendly while introverts are shy; extroverts enjoy late nights while introverts prefer to stay in…you get the idea.

Another common grouping is planners v.s. spontaneous people. Planners are known for being wise, thoughtful, observant. Spontaneous people are fun, flighty, and adventurous. You can’t be wise and spontaneous or fun and a planner, right?

Or can you?

And what should you be if you’re a follower of Christ? Well, the Bible says to be wise, so a planner, right?

Well, let me introduce you to a man named Philip, who may change your opinion on these stereotypes. We learn the most about him in Acts. His two defining characteristics are being wise and attentive to the Holy Spirit. (Getting planner vibes…)

Anyway, he’s on his way to work when the Holy Spirit leads him to go out of his way to approach a complete stranger and share his faith with him. There was probably some part of Philip that said, “Are you crazy? You’re going to be late! You don’t even know this man!” But you know what Philip did? He ran right up to the man and soon struck up a very meaningful conversation which resulted in the man getting baptized right there and then!

How often do your plans get interrupted? Do you react in a way that shows you’re attentive to what God’s trying to tell you? I’ll confess, when my life gets interrupted, I get frustrated. I don’t always immediately obey God. But I once heard that God isn’t interrupting our lives, He’s sending divine intervention.

I hate going into the “What If Zone” because there’s nothing we can do about the past now. But we’ll journey there for just a moment. Can you think of a time when God prompted you to do something that was out of your comfort zone or seemed strange? Did you do it? If not, do you think it would’ve made an impact had you done it?

Like I said, we can’t go back, and that’s okay. God uses wherever we are and whoever we are to make His plans happen. Just consider the amazing impact you could have on the world if you listen to God.

Anyway, back to the story. So, Philip has just baptized the man and suddenly he disappears. Now, why don’t we focus enough on that part of the story? Like, HELLO! Philip disappears?? Then he reappears right where God wanted him to be, back on track.

Obviously he didn’t do that vanishing act on his own. God honored Philip’s obedience and took care of his needs. Philip likely didn’t know that God would help him get there on time, but he trusted that whatever happened next would be okay.

Maybe your life will be okay if you don’t say yes to what God says. But will it be meaningful? Purposeful? Incredible? Probably not. You see, God has all these unfathomable blessings and surprises waiting for us, but we will never see them if we just carry on with our plan and are never open to going off-course for God.

There’s nothing wrong with planning or just letting life take its course. There’s a time for both approaches. Just don’t let either approach cause you to miss out on what God has in store for you.

Today, really listen to God and see what He might be calling you to do. Perhaps there’s been a gentle nudging all along and you’re finally taking the time to listen to it. Whatever your purpose is, I know with God, anything is possible.

Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Acts 8:38-40

I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
Job 42:3

The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:1

For Such a Time as This

Queen Esther made the choice to trust God and fulfill her purpose, despite her fear. How have you struggled to be courageous?

I’ve often heard people make the excuse “I can’t do this because I’m not a brave person”, like bravery is a personality trait or something. No, it is not. I believe that anyone can be brave. Yes, including you.

Fear is the enemy’s favorite weapon against us. He uses it to trick us into not fulfilling our purposes. God knows that we need encouragement to be brave, which is why He reminds us over 300 times in the Bible to not be afraid. So, if you’re trying to figure out what God wants you to do every day, it’s to get rid of fear!

But the thing is, being brave doesn’t mean we aren’t afraid. We can only be brave when we overcome something we’re afraid of; when we take action despite our fear.

My very favorite female Bible character is Esther. What’s not to love? As a kid, we learned in Sunday school about how brave, devoted, and loyal she was. She’s the model for what a young woman should be, right?

Well, what actually makes me appreciate her even more is that she’s more human than we often make her out to be. Her initial response to her cousin Mordecai’s request for her to stand up for her people, to use her power and position in the best way possible, was not one of eagerness and bravery. She didn’t immediately say, “Yes, I absolutely will risk my life for you all!”

No, she actually told him that she couldn’t do what he requested because she would put her own life in danger. She allowed her fears to get the best of her.

But thankfully, Mordecai didn’t accept that response. He pushed her to step out of her comfort zone in order to fulfill God’s purpose for her, which is what we should do for our loved ones too. He reminded her that she was created for just a time as this.

Even with these words, Esther didn’t immediately take action. She needed guidance from God, more than usual, so she asked Mordecai to tell all their people to fast and pray for her. She agreed to go before the king, but that threat of dying was still in the back of her mind. That fear wasn’t gone, which was apparent in her next course of action.

She came before the king, and instead of bringing up the issue right away, she asked him and Hamaan (the one trying to kill all the Jews) to come to a feast she prepared. Perhaps this was all a part of her plan, or perhaps she was too nervous to tell him what she really wanted right away. Likely it was a little of both. I’m sure we’ve all had that moment where we’ve created a plan of action when trying to do something we’re afraid of doing in order to feel more in control. Making a plan is totally fine as long as we seek God’s wisdom while making it.

It took two feasts before Esther got up the courage to ask the king to spare her people. She did it afraid. She did it after not wanting to earlier. She second-guessed herself and had to create a plan of action before doing what God wanted her to do.

But she still did it and saved her people. She still fulfilled her purpose. She wasn’t any less brave for doing it afraid. Because essentially, she did it.

What’s something God’s calling you to do today? Is fear holding you back from fulfilling your purpose? Remember, nothing is impossible for you when God is your strength. You are put in this situation for just a time as this and you have the same God-given power and abilities Esther received to do what you need to do.

Now’s the time to do it.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14

But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”
Luke 18:27

Hope in the Midst of an Unknown Future

Are you feeling anxious about what the new year might bring? Here is some encouragement about who holds your future.

Don’t be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
Corrie ten Boom

I saw that quote on a day where the future feels…shaky. As we head into the new year, there has been a lot of speculation as to what 2021 will hold for us. Will the affects of COVID be over with by this time next year? Will we still have our health, family members, friends, or jobs? What if something worse happens next year?

So many questions and so few answers. I think many of us could use 2020 as a year to doubt God and His goodness.

But instead, I’d like for you to think of this past year differently. How has God shown that He is still good and still working despite all that’s happened? We don’t have to happy about all the difficulties we’ve faced this past year. But we should be able to find ways to have hope in the midst of it all.

I have talked to many people close to me about how having to stay at home has affected them. We all have agreed that by regular life going on pause, we have found new ways to connect with God. Now we are making it a habit to pray, read the Bible, and just spend that intentional time with Him. That should be the most valuable thing and best use of time for us.

As you get ready for Christmas and New Year’s, I hope that you can still feel joy, despite all the hardships you’ve faced this year. And as you step into the unknown, I hope you can believe that God is working through everything, no matter how things end up. Don’t stop trusting God just because others might or because things seem uncertain. Just think about the Christmas story and all the unlikely people God used to bring true love and joy into the world. He can and will use you too.

Today, make a list for all the unexpected blessings that have come from this strange year, and another list of things you are looking forward to in the future. No matter what you’re worried about, God has already taken care of it. He loves you so much and He knows what’s best for you.

Don’t give up. ❤

Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Loving God Through Trusting Him

Is there something God’s placed on your heart that you are afraid to do?

I was watching a movie last night, a Christmas rom-com, which I would not recommend because it was pretty much a waste of time 🙂 However, I did get a lot out of one scene from it that inspired me for today’s Encouragement Thursday.

One of the main characters was trying to figure out if her coworker and best friend loved her, and she asked her father how he knew her mother was the one. He replied that she was willing to face her biggest fear for him. If you are willing to face your fears for someone else, then you love them.

This got me thinking. There are so many verses in the Bible about trusting God, but I don’t think we realize that it’s an act of worship. When we listen to God and do what He tells us to–acting on our faith–we are proving to God that we love Him.

So if we are too afraid to do what God tells us to, then do we truly love Him?

I’ve been thinking about that question a lot over the past couple days. I think we can certainly love God while having doubts. But I think the way to truly show God that we love Him is by doing what He commands. Sometimes God commands us to do things that we don’t want to do, or even worse, that we are afraid to do. But that doesn’t mean we have an excuse not to do them. It just means that we need to call out to God and ask for His peace and strength to overflow within us so that we can do what He asks.

God wants to help us. He wants us to become the people He created us to be. But that requires us to do our part, too. We need to ask God each day to help us listen to Him and to renew our faith. We also need to be willing to stop sitting around questioning whether or not we should do something and instead jump up and just do it.

I know that what I’m suggesting isn’t easy. I have a lot of trouble doing what God tells me to sometimes. But trusting God is vital for our spiritual growth. It helps us develop an even deeper love of God when we trust Him with EVERYTHING. Our relationships, our health, our finances, our future, our everything.

So today, think about something that God has been telling you to do, but you’ve been too afraid to do it. It’s not too late. God is patient and He knows that you may have needed some assurance before taking this leap of faith. Pray about it and allow God’s peace to fill you. Then, go out and do it. 🙂

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
James 2:17

God of the Impossible

Are you in an impossible situation right now? Turn to God and He will take care of you. Nothing is impossible for God.

I am currently attempting to read the entire Bible (hopefully in a year, but we’ll see!) and for the last couple days, I’ve been reading the story of Abraham and Sarah. I think most of us learned about them and all God’s promises for them when we were kids in Sunday School, but I’ve really been thinking more deeply about their story during this particular rereading.

They were going through their own trials by being promised that their line would fill the nation and be God’s chosen people, yet they couldn’t have children. They even came face to face with the Lord when He and two angels visited them in human form, yet they couldn’t believe that God would fulfill His promises because they had been praying and hoping for so long with no success. Yet God continued to do His good work despite all their mistakes and in the end the impossible happened.

Are you going through a season of life where many things feel impossible? Perhaps a person you care about is ill, you are in a difficult financial situation, or a relationship isn’t working out. Whatever you do, don’t give up on God.

Sometimes it feels like the entire world is crashing around us and we have no hope, no future. We feel like shutting down and trying to hold on tightly to what we do have. We feel like our hopes and dreams will never been fulfilled.

Well, I have some amazing news for you. If you line up your desires with God, then He promises to do the impossible and give you a purpose. That doesn’t mean that God is your servant and you can demand things from Him or that you should be disappointed if things don’t go the way you want. Rather, you can have hope when life gets difficult because God can turn any situation around into something incredible.

Nothing comes between God and His love for us. He is ultimately in control of the entire world and all that happens. Your impossible situation isn’t impossible for God. He’s holding you and this situation in the palms of His hands. He is in control.

So today, if you are feeling weighted down by all that is going on in your life, remember that the One we serve and love is taking care of us. God won’t let anything come between you and what’s meant for you.

“The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”
Luke 18:27

Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Genesis 18:14

Shipwrecked

Are you in the middle of a storm right now? God commands us to not be afraid, even when things don’t seem to be looking good for us.

Imagine that you are being taken across the stormy seas, away from your home, and off to stand trial, where you are likely to face death. Suddenly, the ship is beginning to fall apart and everyone is terrified around you.

You would be scared, wouldn’t you?

In Acts (chapter 7), Paul is in this exact same circumstance. But he is met with an angel who commands him, “Do not be afraid”, and goes on to say that God has promised to spare the lives of everyone on the ship. Paul goes on to encourage everyone on board and even when they arrive safely (despite many hardships along the way), Paul’s life is spared in the courtroom as well.

You may have read this story before and thought that it was an interesting chapter of the Bible. Then you closed your Bible, went to bed, and spent hours contemplating all of your problems and worrying about what you can do to change the situation you are in right now.

Not many of us will be in a shipwreck like Paul. But we all have our own storms that are just as terrifying and life-altering as this one.

You may be struggling to trust God right now. But just as we continue to have storms, we also continue to have God, who promises to take care of us and tells us over and over again to not be afraid.

I know it’s really hard to understand why God is bringing you through this particular storm you’re in the middle of right now. But in the end, you wouldn’t have had the same opportunities to share God’s love and deepen your relationship with Him otherwise. Life is very difficult to comprehend, but looking back at all the times that God has led the way will help you realize how much He loves you and how God is the only One in control.

So today, if you are struggling to make sense of the situation you’re in, remember that you can always turn to God no matter what. He will be there to encourage you and help you encourage others with the hope and peace He will place inside you. You can’t do this alone, but that’s okay, because you aren’t alone. God will guide you and help you become exactly who you are meant to be. All you have to do is trust God and realize that whatever is meant for you will eventually be yours. Don’t be afraid.

But I Thought God Promised…

What does God really mean when He says He will give us the desires of our hearts?

Sorry for a bit of a late post for today’s Encouragement Thursday! I’ve had a recurring thought come to mind and I decided it would inspire this week’s post, despite the fact that I didn’t get the idea by being encouraged from someone else. I actually think this is a reminder that God’s been placing on my heart because I really needed to hear it this week.

Take a look at this verse:

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:5

I’m sure many of you have read this verse and felt your heart swell with joy and contentment, until…you didn’t get what you wanted.

Then you came to God in anger, frustration, defeat, or maybe all of the above. You said to God, “I thought you promised to give me what I wanted if I trusted you and praised you. Why didn’t things work out the way I planned?”

I think we’ve all been there, in that place, wondering why God didn’t “come through” for us. But the thing is, many of us just haven’t interpreted this verse correctly. Yet, it can still be a source of encouragement for us, just in a different way.

You see, God is always going to do what’s best, even if we don’t understand why. And just because you desire something doesn’t mean it’s what’s best in the long run. We don’t know the future, only God does, so really, we should only want what God wants because He’s the only one who can have everyone’s best interests in mind.

In addition, we often like to take verses out of context, don’t we? That’s okay, I’ve done it plenty of times. But it’s important to read around the verse too.

The following verse says this:

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Psalm 37: 6-7

The key to God’s promise in these verses is that if we are following God and placing our lives in His hands, He will make sure our patience, trust, and obidence is not in vain. He will make sure that our lives are used to bring others closer to Him and He will fill us with His love and mercy. And of course, in the end, we will spend the rest of eternity in Heaven with Him.

Isn’t that an even better gift than getting that short-term dream fulfilled?

God never leaves us empty-handed. But we need to be willing to do our part and not expect the Creator of the Universe to do whatever we ask simply because we believe it’s what’s right.

If you trust God and ultimately desire His will to be done, then you will get the desires of your heart.

So today, think about what you desire in life. Are your desires following along with what God has told you in the past? Are you upset at God because He didn’t do what you asked?

I know it’s hard to understand God sometimes (okay, a lot of the time). But it’s important to think “big picture” about life. We really don’t know what’s ahead, but we don’t have to be afraid because God is in control. We just have to trust Him and commit our lives to Him. And in the end, it’s worth the wait.

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lordweighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:1-3

Where is God Now?

Are you having a tough time trusting God? Here’s some encouragement.

Have you felt like God isn’t there for you?

Have you been doubting your faith lately?

Pause. And ask the simple question of “why?”

Is it because you really believed that God was going to do something for you because you prayed about it and you felt like God was leading you to a certain thing/job/person, but it didn’t work out?

I’ve been there before, friend, and it’s hard. It’s especially hard when that second part comes into play, where we really believe that God is leading us to something or someone, and yet it doesn’t work out. Or at least, it doesn’t work out the way we wanted it to. That’s the key, isn’t it?

I’m here to tell you something that’s hopefully encouraging. Just because something doesn’t go the way you wanted it to or even believed it would, doesn’t mean that God wasn’t leading you to go there or be a part of that person’s life. It just means that God is telling us to wait, because something better is in store if we don’t make rash decisions based on our emotions.

I know that’s difficult. That word, patience, has been resurfacing in my life time and time again over the past two years. But last night, I was reminded of something vital. We may not realize the journey that God is currently having us on until after it’s over. Right now, you may be struggling. Or, you may be just in a season of mundane, unsure of what God wants to do with you. Both are difficult, but God uses every situation, person, and season of our lives for His divine purpose.

I was studying the voyage of the Israelites yesterday with a small group of people, and one woman remarked, “I don’t know what God was doing by making them circle back around and take such a complicated route, especially because of course God could bring them straight to the Promise Land if He wanted to, but I do know that it happened the way it did for a reason because God was leading them.”

If you need a refresher, the Israelites had been freed from slavery and were on a 40-year journey through the wilderness. If anyone got impatient with God, it would make sense for them to have, huh? We get annoyed by waiting a few months, or possibly years, but I’ll bet that most of us haven’t been waiting on God for a specific thing for almost half a century.

You may wonder why God seemed to have abandoned them. But here’s the thing, it wasn’t God who abandoned them. It was the Israelites who abandoned God.

God was faithfully providing for them each day, with food and guiding them in the form of a pillar of smoke. (Wouldn’t it be nice if God led us around with a pillar of smoke today? Decision making would be so easy!) And of course, it was thanks to God that they got out of slavery in the first place, because of the plagues God inflicted on the Egyptians for treating human beings so horribly.

However, when the Israelites got to the Promised Land, they doubted that they would be able to defeat the current people group there and they didn’t believe that God would provide for them, despite all He had done for them in the past.

That’s why God allowed them to wander around for so long. Not because He wanted them to suffer, but because He wanted to teach them to trust Him.

Ouch, I don’t know about you, but I’ve been there before. In that space of waiting, in that time where God wanted me to only focus on Him. Looking back, I was definitely in one journey of my life during my sophomore year of high school. God took away all my distractions– I was struggling in school, I lost a good portion of my friends, and I was struggling with my mental health. I was so confused as to why all these things were happening to me. But looking back, God was preparing me for something greater. God was using that time to draw me closer to Him, through prayer, mentors, and journaling. Then, I hit a major turning point in my life.

I was going through a confirmation program at my church and it was the Saturday before Confirmation Sunday. I was a new driver, and I misjudged a turn, causing me to be in a serious car accident.

In some ways, this would’ve been the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. But God refocused me, and instead of causing me to look at the situation as just one more wrong thing happening in my life, God used this event to strengthen my testimony. I was able to share a testimony the next day that was reflective of God bringing me through the storm, and then reminding me to trust Him, and finally bringing me to a stable place once more.

I have to constantly remind myself of that journey as I now venture through a new one, yet another season of waiting and figuring out how God wants to use me in the future. God eventually led me to the right people, gave me the motivation to improve my grades, and provided mentors in my life to help me work through my personal difficulties (although we all can struggle sometimes, and that’s okay, as long as we don’t just stay “stuck” and we do what we know will help us find peace and restore our minds).

Last night, I was in a conversation with my mom, and she actually said something quite profound. We were discussing some people in my life who I’ve been worried about recently because I’m afraid that they are making decisions that will hurt them in the future. My mom said, “A lot of times in life, we grow impatient. But if we had just waited, then God would’ve given us something better.”

That really got me thinking. What if today, instead of doing something impulsive, we pray? What if we reach out to someone who is a healthy influence in our lives when we are feeling weak instead of turning to someone or something that hurts us? What if we pray for peace of mind instead of an immediate outcome?

Today, think back to a past journey in your life. How has God shown you that He is the One in control and that He’s got this?

Keep listening to God, no matter what. If you do as God leads, no matter the outcome, it was what you were meant to do. And maybe someday it will all make sense. We have something even better than the pillar of smoke. We have the Holy Spirit–God– inside of us, helping us make wise choices each and every day! We are not going through our journeys alone.

God loves you so much and He has an amazing plan for you. We’ve just got to wait and make the most of the season that we are in.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31