Leaning on God

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

Have you ever been in a “What if” situation? What if the biopsy doesn’t come back benign? What if I’m never able to have children? What if my child never returns to God?

They’re all possible situations, but they’re also the worst outcome for each scenario. It’s interesting how our minds automatically place us in the worst possible situation, leaving us to fret until the outcome becomes clear.

Elisabeth Elliot had this to say about our circumstances: “Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to ‘wait trustfully and quietly on Him’ who has all things safely in His hands.” Instead of focusing so much on the here and now and potential outcomes, we must focus on God; when we rely on him, we will find peace. It doesn’t come easily, but the more we look at our problems, the bigger they grow. The less we focus on our problems, the more our anxieties are assuaged with the peace of God.

And we are commanded to do this by the Lord — trust in him during these difficult times. Don’t assume things that have not yet occurred will. If they don’t, imagine all the time wasted worrying! But if they do occur, you’ll have prepared yourself to accept the path God has for you and therefore be better able to handle it. Whatever God allows into our lives is never to hurt us but to grow us, and instead of worrying about what may be, we must keep our eyes on what we know about God and his plan for us.

Dear Lord, please turn my anxiety into peace during this trial. Give me a willingness to accept whatever your will is and the ability to relinquish my worries for your calm spirit. Amen.

Make every effort to do something that detracts the focus from your problems — serving others, praying, reading the Bible, listening to sermons, etc. You’ll find that the more you focus on God, the easier it becomes to relinquish your worries to him.

By Ashlea Massie
Used by Permission