God's Counsel, Instruction And Guidance

Who, on this earth, would we trust with our life? A husband? A wife? A mother? A father? A son? A daughter? Does a friend come to mind? It's the people that we are really close to, the few, that we know and trust their character, that we are going to choose from isn't it? We all want control over our future, we would want our wishes to be followed; but, is there anyone we would trust to choose and orchestrate our life, according to THEIR will? Is there anyone that we could trust to plan every detail of our life, without our input, and then for us be willing to live it out? That's a tough question isn't it? That's a whole new ballgame! Who would want to do that, anyway?

Did you know God's Word says He has a way chosen for us? A way chosen for you! Wow! Sounds great, God, the Creator of all things, has a plan for me! We love the idea of having a purpose, a God-given plan! The difficulty in this, is having the faith, the willingness, to trust Him, to believe His way is best for us and giving up our control. To follow God's plan for us, we have to be able to lay aside our own desires and reasoning; to overcome our fears and to believe He will act in our best interest, no matter what; even, if we don't understand or agree with His choices! Think about that a minute! This takes trust to a whole new level! Do we believe and trust God to act in our best interest and for our good, even, if many times we know He will take us in ways that will cause fear and discomfort, in ways we really don't want to go or feel ready for? This kind of trust comes, only, through knowing Him, very intimately! This ability comes through ALOT of time spent with Him, coming to know Him, fully, and trusting His character, completely! Check out the verses below:

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Psalm 16:7 says, "I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me."

Psalm 25:12 says, "Who then fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him."

Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

Psalm 37:23 says, "If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand."

Psalm 73:24 says, "You guide me with your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory."

Counsel, instruction, and guidance from the God of the Universe, that's pretty awesome stuff! But how far does our trust go? Can we trust Him with those things that cause us fear?

Isaiah 41:10 &13 says,
So do not fear; for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will up hold you with my righteous right hand.
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says, "Do not fear; I will help you."

Psalm 37:39-40 says, "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him."

God keeps His promises, He's trustworthy! When we begin to recognize that He does what He says He'll do, we grow in our ability to feel secure in His arms and to trust Him with more. As we come to see His goodness and His righteousness, we find it easier to trust Him when He's asking us to do something that seems outside of reason or something that will cause us discomfort or pain. It takes time, but we will, gradually, be able to, willingly, lay down more of our lives into His care.

If you are struggling with trusting God with every detail of your life, you aren't alone! We all do! Tell Him your greatest fears and draw near and allow Him to dispel them! I'm praying for you!