In His Hands

Give your burdens to the Lord,
    and he will take care of you.
    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.  Psalm 55:22

In life, you realize over time who is dependent on you and how independent you are.  Much of my adult life, I lived on the principles that my parents taught me.  Be responsible for your actions.  Be able to stand on your own two feet without depending on anyone else.  Now that is pretty sound advice, and I had no issue with that.  However, there were times where it was hard to keep that up.  An unexpected car repair, or an issue with the house comes to mind.  Your child wants to be a cheerleader, and you must pay exorbitant fees for her pursuit of her dream.  You get laid off.  These are all challenges I faced, and in that moment, you wonder how in the world you will survive it all.  During those times, I questioned if my parents were too strict with their lessons.  Yet, somehow, I got through all those times and feel blessed to be in a situation where my wife and I will be alright.  In fact, we have been able to help others who became dependent on us to survive their storms and situations.

This brings me to a story of the great challenges of our journey.  When should we focus on our own abilities versus trusting God.  I’ve grown in my faith to where I have a good fundamental understanding of who God is, and many of the things that I will hear are reminders of His goodness and reaffirming of lessons taught throughout my journey.  However, it is often that I find a hidden gem that reminds me of my place in His plan.  In a sermon this weekend, a pastor gave me a phrase that has marinated in my head all week.  He brought up a song I had never heard titled Bigger Than I Thought, and he elaborated on various aspects of the song.  One of the chorus lines simply said:

I will rest in the Father’s hands

Leave the rest in the Father’s hands

It immediately reminded me of the words of Jesus when He said, “And ye shall find rest unto your soul.” (Matthew 11:29b KJV) Thus, what I have found is that you utilize all that God has given you to do His will, and once you have done that, trust in that He will do the rest.

God always has our back.  The great thing about trusting God is that He has proven it time over time that He will take care of us.  Many of my personal trials occurred before I was born again, not due to luck or circumstance, but as part of God's plan.  Whether it be finding my wife or getting a job that would help me find Him again, understanding the depth of God’s wisdom and plans is well beyond what we could know.  God's wisdom and plans are beyond our understanding, yet they guide us and provide confidence, through whatever trials, challenges, or difficulties we may face, that He will take care of us.  Paul emphasizes this with, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” (Philippians 4:6-7a)

Trusting God shows wisdom, not weakness.  As I reflect on the pastor’s words and the song’s lyrics, I’m reminded that the storms of life are not meant to defeat us but to shape us.  Each challenge, whether it’s financial strain, personal loss, or a test of character, becomes an opportunity to lean closer to God and to see His provision unfold in ways we might never have imagined.  Let us focus not only on our independence to do God’s will but also our dependence that when we have done all we can that we can ‘rest in His hands and leave the rest in hands.’  How do you balance self-reliance with trusting God?  What lessons have you learned from the storms of life and how do they show His provisions in your life?  My prayer is that we are wise enough to both use the gifts God has given us and trust to be dependent in His hands.  Amen.

Previous
Previous

He Is With Us

Next
Next

They Can’t Block Your Blessing