Trust in God

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Proverbs 3:5

Trusting God can be very easy in seasons of plenty but challenging during difficult times.When we face challenges or when things don’t go according to plan, our level of trust and confidence in God is put to the test. Little wonder the wise one needed to remind us that trust is essential if we want to live a fulfilling and meaningful life. Trusting in God means putting our faith in Him completely. It means acknowledging that we don’t have all the answers and that we need His help to navigate through life’s challenges. When we trust in God, we are surrendering control over our lives to Him, knowing that He will guide us towards what is best for us. He always knows what is best for us, God is our best driver of our destiny but as humans with human tendencies, sometimes we may want to exercise our control or free will to choose that which we believe is best for us. Letting go of our control over our lives can be quite challenging and difficult and that is when we ‘lean on our own understanding’.

But the wise one, warns against leaning on our own understanding, against relying solely on our own knowledge or experience instead of seeking wisdom from God. Often, when faced with difficult decisions or situations, it’s tempting to rely on our own intuition or logic rather than seeking guidance from above. Relying solely on ourselves can lead us astray. Our human understanding is limited and flawed; only God has perfect knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, if we truly want to make wise decisions and live a purposeful life, it’s essential that we seek His guidance above all else.

Trusting God should be with all our hearts. The heart represents not only our emotions but also our innermost desires and motivations. Trusting in God with all our hearts means committing ourselves fully to Him – not just intellectually but also emotionally. When we truly trust in God with all our hearts, there’s no room for doubt or fear. We know that He will always guide us towards what is best for us, even when it’s difficult or uncomfortable. This kind of trust requires vulnerability and surrender, but it also brings great rewards – peace, joy, and a sense of purpose.

Trusting in God is not just a one-time decision; it’s a daily choice. Each day presents new challenges and opportunities to either trust in God or rely on our own understanding. Therefore, we must make the conscious effort to choose trust every day. This means spending time with God through prayer and reading His Word. It means seeking wisdom from Him before making decisions instead of relying solely on our own understanding. It means choosing to see the world through His eyes rather than our own limited perspective.

Hence we ought to surrender control over our lives to God completely and seek His guidance above all else. Therefore let us make the daily choice to put our faith in Him completely so that we can experience the fullness of life He has planned for us.

Waiting at the Wrong Stop?

I remember while working one day some time ago, I needed to complete my shift early because my weekly legal limit as a student was used up. I had planned to follow the bus that will depart from the bus stop close to my work place at the exact time I finished my shift.
On finishing my shift, I noticed it was raining heavily. I signed out and left, only to find a heavy rain outside the workplace. I could not go back into the office as it was on a weekend and the reception had closed, I had to find refuge beside the big office building. I stood there and saw the bus stop about 100 meters in front. But I felt the rain was too heavy to walk to the shade at the bus stop. Besides, the bus I was waiting for did not arrive yet. So, I was waiting at the office and some rain drops were splattering on my legs.
The bus was late but I kept waiting until I saw the bus turn into the road towards the bus stop. I started running and making my way to the bus stop under the heavy drops of rain. I could not get to the bus stop before the bus. So I started waving at the bus to wait for me. However, the buses don’t normally wait for anyone. One had to be at the bus stop before the bus arrives. The bus left me and I was so furious. Several thoughts started flooding my mind. I wanted to do the right thing, go earlier so that I don’t break the law even when I could have done it and got away with it. Why has it become so difficult to do the right thing these days. I thought to myself. I remembered that I have been trying to do the right things in my life but in the recent times, results seemed unfavourable. I fumed, but then I remembered something interesting and started praying.
It was not long after then that it dawned on me that what happened to me was my fault and not anyone else’s. It occurred to me that I needed to walk under the rain to wait at the bus stop for the bus. It was until I got to the bus stop that I noticed that the shade at the bus stop was not as bad as I thought. In fact, it was similar or maybe even better than the side of the office building that I waited in.
This is what happens in our lives sometimes. We wait at the wrong place even when we see the appropriate waiting place just ahead of us. We do this because we do not have confidence in the waiting place that we are seeing from where we are. But if we were to enter the “rain” of our lives and walk on despite the difficult circumstances, we would get to a better waiting place for the bus to our destiny.
So, are you currently waiting for the heavy rain or storm to subside but doing so at the wrong bus stop? Are you waiting on God but living sinfully because you feel that God is “late” in answering your prayers? You may be waiting at the wrong bus stop thinking that when you see the bus coming, you will run towards it and board it. That may be too late and you will have missed your bus and may need to wait longer than you should. It results in taking 40 years for a 40-day journey. So, be encouraged and examine your live and see if perhaps you are currently at a wrong stop. If so, trust God and take the necessary step towards your stop. You may have to walk under the “rain”, you may have to pass through thorny roads but you do need to trust in God and make the move towards your waiting place. Endeavor to “move” or wait “on your knees” and wear the breastplate of righteousness as you wait under the appropriate “bus shade”.
I pray that God will open our eyes to see our appropriate waiting places so we will meet him in Jesus name. Amen.

The Bridge of Uncertainty

Your Future is save in God’s Hands – (2)

Between the promise of God and the fulfillment or manifestation of the promise lies a gap I like to call the “bridge of uncertainty” that ultimately leads to certainty. I call it the bridge of uncertainty for a number of reasons. One, it is during the waiting period on this bridge that life can throw a number of things on the individual that makes it seem that the promises of God will never manifest. A second reason is that from the physical signs, one cannot determine the outcome – more like the dry bones in the book of Ezekiel, can they live again? From physically examining them, they cannot. Hence the reason why I call this period a “bridge of uncertainty”. But the interesting fact is that this bridge leads unto certainty. How ironic! The three Hebrew men, Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego did not know if God was going to deliver them from the fire on that particular day, they were ready to die nevertheless. They said they were not going to bow to a foreign God because the one true God which they served was able to deliver them, EVEN IF HE DID NOT DELIVER THEM, they still will not bow. We know the promises God has made, and sometimes we are faced with situations that requires us to believe in those promises despite the prevailing situation. So it is important that we believe despite the current situation because the current situation is not a good predictor of future outcomes. Consider Joseph going from slavery in Potiphar’s house to prison in Egypt. Am sure that was uncertain enough for him, it certainly could have given cause to doubt his dream at that point and may be he did, we are not told. But the important thing is that he still held on to his integrity and the dream came to manifestation. How about John the Baptist in the period of affliction? He had to send his disciples to ask Jesus if he was truly the messiah.

So, all sorts of doubts and fears can emanate on the “bridge of uncertainty”. And so, how then can anyone live through such a period and conquer in the end? Here are a few things that can help:

1. Knowledge and faith.

Consider this passage again:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Pet 1:3

Knowledge and faith comes through hearing the word of God. All things that pertain unto life and godliness are given unto us through the knowledge of God. Without the knowledge of God, we cannot be godly and obtain all things that pertain to life. And faith also comes through the knowledge of God. That’s the reason Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing the Word of God. So, your faith is proportional to your knowledge of God’s word. Now, if we know what God has done for other people, if we read what was written in the past which was meant for our learning (Rom 15:4), then we can be certain to understand how God handles his business. We can come to a full knowledge of his will. The scripture reveals the perfect will of God. It is the perfect law of God. It is profitable for doctrine, for correction and able to furnish us with all that is needed for godly living.

How does this knowledge help? It gives us certainty during uncertain times, when the current prevailing situation is saying otherwise, when our health seems to be failing, when our finances are not what they should be, when we have no job, when we have no one to turn to. When the difficulties of live assail. Then the word breathes peace into our lives. It breathes hope also. So, when you find yourself on the bridge of uncertainty, study and meditate on the word of God even more.

Through this knowledge, grace and peace is multiplied. 

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. – 2 Pet 1:2

The peace of God that surpasses all human understanding will flood through one’s live because of the knowledge of God. Peace is multiplied, it is not just added and this gives a calming influence. It calms and settles anyone during affliction and helps to keep the focus on the promise.

2. Endurance and Patience

Another important trait or virtue that is needed in the valley of affliction is endurance. Endurance and patience is so important that Paul in writing to the Romans said:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  – Rom 5:3

Suffering indeed produces perseverance which produces character and hope. All these traits are essential in the time of affliction. The apostle Paul said it all. And if we suffer, it should not be as a result of wrong doing but let it be for the cause of Christ, then can we truly glory in such suffering. Nevertheless, if one has found oneself in affliction as a result of wrong doing, confession and repentance is necessary and the grace of God will be multiplied. So, there is no need to feel sad, but to glory. David realized it was good that he was afflicted so that he will learn obedience.

3. Believe in God’s promises and He will show up eventually

There is a word that God has spoken concerning everything or every situation in life. The scriptures may have been written over two thousand years ago, but it is relevant for all ages. It was relevant in those early days, it is relevant today and it will be relevant tomorrow. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is unchangeable and is not slack concerning his promises. So, in the “bridge of uncertainty”, search the scriptures, and find relevant scriptures and meditate on it daily. Hang onto those promises. Abraham believed God, hung onto his promise of a son and heir for over 25 years and God did show up. He went through a bridge of uncertainty as well but his believe and trust on the promises of God was unshaken and today, he is the father of faith and a friend of God. The three Hebrew men believed and recited the promise of God, they could not burn in the furnace. Joshua and Caleb believed and they entered the promised land.

but 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. – Isa 40:31