“How are you doing, Jamie?” It was the question form, not the salutation. My response was unusual: I began to cry.
This was senior year of high school, and, wow, my future held so much potential. I had plans, good plans. I had support. I’d been accepted into my first choice of a college. But I felt so much pressure; I didn’t want to miss God’s will for my life!
Maybe you’ve been there. Why does God seem somewhat cryptic sometimes? I subconsciously felt like God had this grand plan for my life but wasn’t going to let me in on it. Why wouldn’t He tell me in plain English the next few steps? Or, for that matter, just the next step!
But I kept turning to Jesus, even in those intense seasons. They don’t end the day you graduate either and I still wonder where I’ll be in a year, and what I’ll be doing exactly. But I have discovered something important: I can trust God. He’s my loving Father. He is even more interested in me fulfilling His will for my life than I am. He’s not a disinterested secret holder. I don’t need to worry that He’ll watch me stumble off, outside of His will, without saying something, and clearly.
We Can Trust Him
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
God has plans for us, and they’re good. But He’s not trying to keep them for us. He’s a good father, we can trust Him.
Proverbs chapter 3 says to trust in the Lord with all our heart. And that can be difficult if we’re not sure He’s interested in us walking in His will. But He is!
I should note, adequate and thorough teaching on this subject is much more extensive than this post, so please understand that I’m leaving out many important details, but let’s just look at one interesting story that’s encouraged me many times over the years.
Consider the Apostle Paul, who said in Galatians 1:15-16, “[God] separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.” Let’s just put it this way, God had some plans for Paul. So here we have Paul with this general call: preach Jesus among the Gentiles. So how does he go about this?
Now when they [Paul and companions] had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6-10)
Check this out: Paul is out preaching and traveling, and heads toward Asia. Then God stops him. So Paul tries to go to a place called Bithynia, and God stops him again! So Paul went to Troas. And then God reveals a new direction (Macedonia) through a vision in the night.
God speaks to us in many ways: through the Bible, through that still small voice, through those around us, through visions and dreams, and sometimes just through peace about something. But what I find really comforting in this story is how God intervened. We don’t have all the details, but Paul didn’t seem afraid of missing God’s will.
Paul was certainly obedient to the Holy Spirit, thus we can say he submitted everything to the Lord and was seeking God, but he wasn’t paralyzed by fear. He did his best and trusted that God would direct and intervene.
Similarly, wherever you are today you can trust God. If you’re headed the wrong direction, He’ll tell you. If you need to go to a specific place, He’ll tell you! What do you know is His will for you generally? To pray, walk in thanksgiving, serve others, make disciples, work hard, etc… Do all of this as worship to the Lord, and trust that He can direct your steps.
And when a big decision is coming up, certainly, pray and fast and seek out wise counsel, but I hope this example of Paul from Acts 16 will help you to trust the One who cares for you and will direct your steps as you acknowledge Him in all your ways.
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