Trusting in Him
Here at Opendoor Church, we are weeks into “The Glory” series, and it has been a good one! Diving into Exodus, we’ve been studying the Tabernacle and have seen that God created the pattern of the Tabernacle to reflect Heaven on Earth and create a space where He was able to dwell with His people. God has always been a God of relationship.
We see God bring the Israelite people out of Egypt and guide them by day with a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21). Later in Exodus, we read of how God instructed His people to create the Tabernacle to allow Him to dwell with them (Exodus 25:8). We have learned that the tabernacle was a temporary structure and that the Israelites would take it down and put it up as they traveled. And yet, as they continued to travel in the desert, God remained with His people.
When I read Exodus, I can’t help but think of the amount of trust the Israelites had in God to follow Moses as he led them out of Egypt. With each plague, God built their trust. With parting the sea, God built their trust. With each day in the wilderness, the Israelites could see either a pillar of cloud or a pillar of fire, each a visual reminder that God was with them, building their trust. Now if we read further in the Bible, we read of scenarios that the Israelites trust in God does falter at times, but I’d like to focus on the importance of trusting God for a moment.
Many times in life, we face difficulties – transitions in life, a health crisis, a desire not fulfilled, or even a personal season of feeling like you are wandering in a desert. For me, I have been navigating a new season of parenting. We recently dropped our oldest son off at college over 1,700 miles away. Let me preface this by saying that this is a good thing! My son got into the college that he wanted, and I am very excited for him. However, I can’t help but miss him not living in our home any longer. Call me crazy, but yes, I miss the dirty laundry, the sound of his truck waking me up as he went to the gym for an early morning workout, the laughter at the dinner table, and even miss opening the pantry to find it raided of all snacks! I found myself grieving this season weeks before he even left because I was dreading what it would look like, feel like. I knew that I could not stop the day from coming where we would drop him off states away. I had to make a choice to focus on the changes of the season I now found myself in or to trust in God knowing that He would not leave me in this moment.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
Choosing to trust God is an act of worship. By surrendering our need to fully understand and control situations we find ourselves in, we refocus our hearts and minds on our Heavenly Father. We confess that He is our strength in our times of weakness; and just like the Israelites, we allow Him to guide our next steps.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 reminds us, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
May we find ourselves able to stand confidently, trusting in Jesus, in every season.
REFLECTION: What areas in your life have you been trying to control by your own strength? It’s time to lay these areas down at the feet of Jesus. Write these areas down and pray a short prayer like the one below.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for this season. Though it is challenging and many times my emotions attempt to keep me focused on my situation, I will place my trust in You. I turn my eyes upward, and I lay my worries and anxiety at your feet. I pray that You will exchange my fear with peace that passes understanding. I choose to trust You, God, with all my heart. I thank You and I love You. Amen.
We see God bring the Israelite people out of Egypt and guide them by day with a pillar of cloud and by night a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21). Later in Exodus, we read of how God instructed His people to create the Tabernacle to allow Him to dwell with them (Exodus 25:8). We have learned that the tabernacle was a temporary structure and that the Israelites would take it down and put it up as they traveled. And yet, as they continued to travel in the desert, God remained with His people.
When I read Exodus, I can’t help but think of the amount of trust the Israelites had in God to follow Moses as he led them out of Egypt. With each plague, God built their trust. With parting the sea, God built their trust. With each day in the wilderness, the Israelites could see either a pillar of cloud or a pillar of fire, each a visual reminder that God was with them, building their trust. Now if we read further in the Bible, we read of scenarios that the Israelites trust in God does falter at times, but I’d like to focus on the importance of trusting God for a moment.
Many times in life, we face difficulties – transitions in life, a health crisis, a desire not fulfilled, or even a personal season of feeling like you are wandering in a desert. For me, I have been navigating a new season of parenting. We recently dropped our oldest son off at college over 1,700 miles away. Let me preface this by saying that this is a good thing! My son got into the college that he wanted, and I am very excited for him. However, I can’t help but miss him not living in our home any longer. Call me crazy, but yes, I miss the dirty laundry, the sound of his truck waking me up as he went to the gym for an early morning workout, the laughter at the dinner table, and even miss opening the pantry to find it raided of all snacks! I found myself grieving this season weeks before he even left because I was dreading what it would look like, feel like. I knew that I could not stop the day from coming where we would drop him off states away. I had to make a choice to focus on the changes of the season I now found myself in or to trust in God knowing that He would not leave me in this moment.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
Choosing to trust God is an act of worship. By surrendering our need to fully understand and control situations we find ourselves in, we refocus our hearts and minds on our Heavenly Father. We confess that He is our strength in our times of weakness; and just like the Israelites, we allow Him to guide our next steps.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 reminds us, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
May we find ourselves able to stand confidently, trusting in Jesus, in every season.
REFLECTION: What areas in your life have you been trying to control by your own strength? It’s time to lay these areas down at the feet of Jesus. Write these areas down and pray a short prayer like the one below.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for this season. Though it is challenging and many times my emotions attempt to keep me focused on my situation, I will place my trust in You. I turn my eyes upward, and I lay my worries and anxiety at your feet. I pray that You will exchange my fear with peace that passes understanding. I choose to trust You, God, with all my heart. I thank You and I love You. Amen.
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2 Comments
Just what I needed today! Divine timing. Thank you Lord!
This is so relevant, thank you for your words and prayer! This is just what I needed !