Understanding.

Growing up my mom had a Plaque by the front door and it read “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.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

I had no idea how much seeing that every time I walked out the front door would affect my life. This verse is one I repeat to myself contently. It is so easy to get caught up trying to make sense of everything that happens. It’s easy to want everything to have a reason we can understand. This is why God directs us to not lean on our own understanding of things. He knows that our minds and comprehension of things is limited. We can’t possibly understand why all things happen the way they do. Because of that we can fall into anxiety, depression, and become disheartened when life gets unpleasant.

The good news is this. He will take care of us as a good Father does! We are like infants who don’t understand causing us to cry out in fear and confusion. As infants grow, they start to learn that even though they may not know the “why”, they learn to trust their parents and have faith that it will make sense in the end. We can also learn to trust in the Lord in this way and lean not on our own understanding, knowing He has our best interest at heart. Just as we hold our babies while they cry, the Lord also holds us, consoling us in our sadness and distress reminding us that He is there in our time of trouble and in the midst of our lack of understanding. He cries when we cry, He knows our heart and the hurt we feel. He wants to give you the peace we all so badly desire but that can only happen if we let Him by giving up our need to know why and our need to control the narrative.

I urge you to cling to Him and trust in His plan. “Walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) and to “Cast all your anxiety on to Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) His child.

I’ll end with this prayer.

Dear Lord. I pray for courage to trust in your plan. I pray For us to lean on you when we are in the storm. I pray for peace in knowing that you are a good Father and that you will make us lie down in green pastures and lead us beside quite waters. You Lord are our hope. Help us remember that our understanding is not to be the basis our faith should stand on, but on your understanding alone. In Jesus name, Amen.