Let me never forget that the Lord is faithful. His word is true. And His word is good.
When things go wrong or there’s a challenge in front of me, so often my knee-jerk reaction is to take it on as my own battle. I see it as a problem that needs to be fixed and I’m the one who needs to fix it.
But the truth is, that’s not the case.
Sometimes when I see things go wrong, it’s only my perspective. What I call things going wrong may simply be the Lord working things out for my good.
When I need to deep clean or reorganize a room in my house, before it starts looking even close to decent, it looks entirely worse. As I pull things out, rearrange, pile up junk to be removed, the room may look like a disaster area. Everything’s wrong and out of place. It’s uncomfortable. I don’t want anyone to see it.
Yet it’s part of the process. Without that step, the beauty cannot come.
In just the same way, the Lord comes in to clean me up, purify me, make me new. It takes a season when all looks a mess. My inclination is to fix it, to make the struggle go away, to clean things up.
But I’m the Lord’s. I’m His project to work on. Just like the room I’m cleaning can’t clean itself, I can’t make me new. Only my God can do that.
So what do I do when things go wrong? What do I do with challenges that come my way?
My knee-herk reaction is to fix, to own it. But it’s not mine to own; it’s God’s. It’s not my job. And that goes against what the world has taught me.
But I’m not of this world (John 18:36). I’m peculiar (1 Peter 2:9). My problems are God’s problems. I am His.
I take my problems to Him. I say, “Jesus, here’s this problem. I cast it on You because You care for me (2 Peter 5:7). I give You this burden and take on Your light one (Matthew 11:30).”
And I wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14). I praise Him. I thank Him, I rest in Him. And I know He is faithful.
I’ve seen it in the past. I’ve seen things appear terribly wrong only to see my God work it all out in ways I never could. And I’ve seen me mess things up when I’ve tried to fix them myself.
I know my God is faithful. It’s His ways I want and His ways I seek.
Here’s my prayer: Lord, let my knee-jerk reaction be to bring my struggles and trials to You. Let me leave them with You. Let me walk in peace, knowing that You have all things in Your care. You have all things worked out. You are faithful. Amen.
