Just Making It

Back when I was in college, I would always get excited about Thanksgiving break and getting to go home and be with family. I would be excited for turkey, football, and, of course, sleeping. What I found, however, was that I tended to rely on those activities to refuel me over the break. I would find myself thinking that if I could just get through the week before, then I would have rest and fun with my family.

When I stepped back, I realized that I was trusting in the idea of upcoming activities to get me through the week rather than relying on the Lord. I was trusting in my family, food, football and fellowship more than I was trusting in God. But God is a jealous God and wants our full attention and for us to completely trust in Him—to understand that He alone can bring meaning to our lives. We don’t have to rely on activity or circumstances; we can “get by” with Him alone.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust alone in me" (John 14:1). We don’t have to look to outside sources to provide our security or comfort or purpose. We can find it in Him. We need to keep two important promises from God in mind:

1. HE IS ALWAYS WITH US: God promises that He will be with us through all things and that He has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11). He says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you," (Hebrews 13:5). No matter how hard our situations are or what we are going through, God is there, always guiding us. And, not only is He guiding us, He also will never leave us when it gets hard. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze," (Isaiah 43:2). God will be there with us when we think we can’t go on, when we think we have to just make it to the next thing, when we have to make decisions, etc., and He has a perfect plan for each one of us.
2. HE CAN BE TRUSTED: He is God of the universe. Why do we fail to remember this? So often I think God can't handle a situation as well as I can, which is so wrong! We can trust God because He never lies. Never. "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19). Since God never lies, we can trust His Word and that He is our shepherd and strength.

Today, I hope and pray that the Lord will continue to teach you, me and all of us to trust in Him alone and not ourselves or our circumstances. Let’s keep in mind that He is always with us and that we can trust Him completely. We don’t have to “just make it through” anymore. We can embrace today and the present moment knowing that His strength is sufficient and His plan is perfect!