God is Trustworthy when We Abide
“I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the LORD, who heals them.
Isaiah 57:18-19 (NLT)
I laid in bed the other night but couldn’t fall asleep. I had a thousand thoughts running through my mind and couldn’t turn them off. I started to get stressed, thinking if I don’t fall asleep, I won’t be able to get all these things done, which created more stress. I woke up my wife and chatted with her, and that helped a little bit, but I still felt the crippling weight of anxiety. I knew that no amount of talking or problem-solving would fix this. Only God’s presence would push out the defeating noise in my head.
I want to tell you it happened instantly, but for maybe an hour, I was beyond overwhelmed. All I could do was focus on God and invite Him into my situation. The Spirit showed me that the enemy was feeding off my fear and I needed to trust God, keeping my eyes fixed on Him. Finally, after who knows how long, I fell asleep. I woke up the following day and spent time with God. This phrase came to my mind-we abide, then He guides.
God revealed that I was trying to carry burdens that my shoulders were not big enough to carry. There’s a reason God tells us to cast our cares on Him, not only because He’s trustworthy but because He can carry them all. Most of my worries came from my confusion about what God told me. Sometimes, I think I guide, and then God abides with me as I live for Him. This isn’t true and will often lead to burnout, worry, fear and exhaustion. As the verse says above, God is the one who heals, God is the one who leads, and God is the one who comforts. So, what do we do? We show up and let Him. We must become black belts in abiding because that’s where our fruit comes from. It’s where our power is. I realized I was trying to guide and take control of everything. I had forgotten the most central command is to abide: to keep showing up and to keep drawing near, to keep our eyes fixed on God and invite Him to be God in our circumstances and life. When we abide, we can find out how trustworthy God is.
Application: He guides us when we abide. Today, try to invite Him into every part of your day.
Prayer: Ask the Spirit of God to guide and direct your every step. Ask Him to help you become more dependent on Him. Ask God if there’s anything you’re trying to carry in your strength, and give Him whatever He says to release. Thank Him that He’s a God who can carry it all!
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?