Dear Heavenly Father,
I’ve learned in my walk with You that nothing works out if I try to do things my own way. Through choices about relationships, friendships, school, and those affecting family members, I’ve learned that if I stick with what Your Word says, things will work out. This is not always an easy lesson, and we often choose to learn it the hard way. During those times that I had tunnel vision and was determined to force a square peg into a round hole, I’m so thankful that, through Your grace, my plans were interrupted.
David, the psalmist, said in Psalm 14:12(NLT), “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” You are letting us know that we all see through a very limited lens. We think we have it all figured out, but we don’t. You know our past. You’re with us in the present, and You hold our tomorrows. Only You know our future, and only You know what is best for us. I am so thankful that You have taught me this.
When I was in the moment of making decisions without consulting You, things seemed clear. It all looked great, and as I envisioned the future, I saw my life the way I wanted it to be. What a big mistake and huge mess my life would have been if You had not interrupted my plans. As time progressed I started to see how things were unfolding, and they began to collapse like dominoes. I was disappointed and unsure. I asked myself, “Why isn’t anything working the way I want it to?” I didn’t understand that the reason why things weren’t working in my favor was because I wasn’t trusting in You.
A lot of my friends want to hurry up and get out of their parents’ house and get out on their own because they want the independence and freedom. They don’t understand that independence and freedom without spiritual maturity can be an easy way for the devil to take over your life. And this isn’t just an issue with young adults. People of all ages make the mistake of thinking life is a ‘no rules’ zone. They don’t want the discipline that comes with imitating Your nature. They just want to do whatever they please, whenever they please. This isn’t Godliness.
You tell us in 1Timothy 4:8 (NIV), “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Our whole purpose for being on this earth is to grow to become more like You, so that we can receive all the good things You have stored up for us. As Christians, we must understand that when we try to map our lives without Your navigation, our map will lead to destruction.
In 1Corinthians 14:40, You tell us to let everything be done in decency and order, because You are a God of order. You do things in a such a way that we’re not left to wander like sheep without a shepherd. Through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, You have promised in Romans 8:28 that ALL things work together for good for those of us that are called according to Your purpose. And that’s another thing we must always keep in mind; we’re here to serve Your purpose, not our own. Your plan always works no matter how things may look in the moment.
There will be situations we go through in life that will have us screaming and crying, “GOD WHY!” in the beginning, but in the end, when everything is all said and done, we’ll be praising You with joy. When we are bent on doing things our way, the thing we were most excited about happening in our lives will have us crying and wishing we had done it Your way. That’s one of the reasons that You want us to stand strong with faith in Your Word even when we don’t understand what’s going on around us. You want us to lean on You in every circumstance, good or bad, because when we trust in You, You’ll make everything work out beautifully. Thank You, Holy and Glorious Heavenly Father, that even when we’ve made mistakes and it looks like our life is collapsing, we can place our trust in You, and You’ll never let us down. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“God Makes Everything Work Out”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.