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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Trust. Rest. Peace.


Today most of the world woke up with the outcome of the elections on their minds. Regardless, of whether you are elated at the outcome or devastated by the results, for the believer we must rest and trust in the Lord knowing that He has all things in His Hands and there is no dominion or power that can stop Him or overpower Him. All things are under His feet and we must stand in the authority of Jesus Christ and know that the battle belongs to the Lord.
Ok, now that we got that out of the way, let me get on to what I wanted to say…resting and trusting in the Lord.

The Lord has been teaching me to rest and trust in Him. It is so easy to say, "I just have to trust the Lord" or "I am trusting in the Lord for such and such" etc. But what does that mean? What does it mean to place ALL our trust in the Lord?

Ok, so real talk, I am naturally a planner and slightly a control freak and micromanager. Thankfully, the Lord has been working in me on this area and I am making progress but still I can struggle with this if I let worry and anxiety get the best of me.
Yesterday, I was reading Psalm 127. The first part of verse one says: "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who built it labor in vain."
The Lord used that verse to deeply convict me. How easy it is to try to build our own "house" in our own strength. It is so easy to think that we know what is best for this circumstance or issue in our lives. We think we know what is best in our relationships, marriages, families, jobs, and life choices etc. But without Christ it is useless. It is useless to think we know what is best for us when it is God who made us and knows everything in the past, present and future and who has ordained everyday of our life before even one came to be. We must rest in knowing the LORD is the Builder- the Master Builder in fact. He is at work, and though I may only see a glimpse of what He is building He is working and it will be completed.
A prayer that I have been praying these last few days has been this:

"My soul, worry not. He is the Master Builder and Architect. He knows what exactly needs to be done and when it will be completed. Rest in this reality. Trust in the Builder. Find the joy in knowing that in Him all shall be well."

You see, I am in a season of my life where things are not exactly clear. Like I said before my natural tendency is to be a planner, a control freak and a micromanager. So growing up I thought I had it all worked out. Go to this college. Get this degree. Get married by this age. Have 3.5 kids by this age. etc
Obviously, it has not worked out like I thought it would, and I am so thankful. During my senior year of high school, the Lord told me that I was not to go to college right away and so my senior year was pretty nice because I did not have to mess with all the ACT scores and applications for colleges and scholarships. Shortly after graduating, the Lord called me to attend a yearlong Bible school in Colorado. During that year, I became a part-time nanny for a family. I had no plans of what I was supposed to do after finishing up at the school, so I started praying for direction and He led me to become the family's full-time, live-in nanny. I nannied throughout this last summer and into the fall but I knew that the Lord only wanted me in Colorado until October. After October He has something else in mind. I knocked on a few doors (so to speak) as to what I should do next. All options closed except for the one for going back to Arkansas.
"Arkansas- really, Lord?? You know, I really do not like it there!!"
"Go Home."
"Ok, Lord. Though it is not what I would have chosen- I know this is where You are leading me."

So here I am a week and a half of being back in Arkansas and without any clear direction as to what He wants me to do. The only thing He is calling me to is to rest and trust in Him.
Such a huge part of me wants to know exactly what He has for me to do. Where does He want me to work? Does He want me to do back to school? Does He want me to go into ministry? Missions? All these questions fill my head at times. The thing the Lord continues to tell me is that I don't have to know all the answers or know the ending to the story, but the thing that I must know is the ONE who does know and the ONE who holds EVERYTHING, even down to the smallest detail or concern in His Hands.

"My soul, be quiet before the Lord and wait upon Him. Oh, the joy and peace that it brings when our soul rests in the Almighty One. Like a newborn baby rests upon its mother's chest and is not stirred by the chaos or noises around him- my soul, rest upon your God! Trust in the security of His Sovereignty!"

I feel like Elisabeth Elliot has been a mentor to me these last few months. I want to leave you with a few of my favorite quotes that have been such a joy, encouragement and challenge to my soul.

"The willingness to be and to have just what God wants us to be and have, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else, would set our hearts at rest, and we would discover the simpler life, the greater peace." -Elisabeth Elliot

"Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His Hands." -Elisabeth Elliot

"Where does your security lie? Is God your Refuge? Your Hiding Place? Your Stronghold? Your Shepherd? Your Counselor? Your Friend? Your Redeemer? Your Savior? Your Guide? If He is, you don't need to search any further for security." -Elisabeth Elliot

“Yet the God who controls the wheeling galaxies and who spoke before the foundation of the world must be the God who holds the smallest circumstance of your life in His hands. We are encompassed on all sides by the Almighty. 'His tender mercies are over all His works.' 'Steadfast love surrounds him, who trusts in the Lord,' and 'underneath are the Everlasting Arms.' Over, around, underneath. We are enfolded. Can you think of a safer place to be?”-Elisabeth Elliot

~Mariah

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