Trust

Proverbs 3:5-6

New International Version (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.

This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate my birthday with some old friends and family up in Michigan. Not only was I able to meet my brand new nephew and see my niece again, but I also was able to see how my old friends were doing and how college is treating them. After the weekend was over, however, something really dawned on me. For once in my life, I actually felt like I was getting older, and it didn't feel good. This is pretty much what dawned on me:

I'm a young adult over here, and yet my life is in a state of limbo. I'm getting older, but I'm still not even sure what I want to do with my degree when I get it. My friends are all moving forward with the next stage of their lives, and I'm still between stages. Heck, I'm still living with my parents! So this morning, I climbed into my car, all stuck in a rut, and turn on my radio. It's set to KLove, and the first song I heard started like this:

"At twenty years of age

I'm still looking for a dream

A war's already waged for my destiny

But You've already won the battle

And You've got great plans for me

Though I can't always see"

Ironically, my high school youth pastor used to tell me that this song reminded her of me. I listened to the song all the way through and remembered, "Hey, I don't have to have it all figured out. That's God's job, and I trust that He's going to take care of me." What a great feeling!

In Proverbs 3:5-6, we hear that, if we genuinely trust in the Lord with everything in us, He'll make sure our paths are straight. All we have to do is lean on Him and seek His will; He'll take care of the rest. Furthermore, we are not to "lean on [our] own understanding," because that's not what real trust in God looks like. I have no idea where I've heard it before, but I remember a phrase goes something like this: "Nothing ruins life like our perception of how it should be." If we keep limiting ourselves to our own little thoughts of how our life should be, we're going to miss out on the big plans that God has for us. We need to stop leaning on our own understanding and start trusting in the Lord, so He can make our paths straight.

Of course, this is all easier said than done. The fact that I know in my head that God will take care of me does not completely remove the feeling in my heart that I should have it all figured out by now. However, it is a step. After being reminded that my future is in His hands, I can learn to trust it in my heart. God is going to take care of me. I just have to trust Him.

Therefore, trust in the Lord completely, with all your heart. Don't let your perception of how you thought your life would be blur the reality of His goodness. He will not forget about you. If your plans differ from His plans, it's because He has something better in store for you. Just be patient and let Him guide you. He will not lead you wrong.

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