Last week, when I was in Atlanta for work, I got to attend Buford Church of Christ’s summer series class on Wednesday night. The speaker talked about the book of Job. One of the points he made was “God’s got this!” He used chapters 38, 39, 40, and 41. I won’t quote all that, but that’s where God is telling Job not to worry because He can do anything. God says “Remember all the awesome stuff I’ve done? Just chill. I’ve got this.” (I paraphrased, of course).
One analogy that the speaker used really stuck out to me. He said that we humans are like the little boy sitting on our father’s lap in the drivers seat of his car. His hands are on the top of the steering wheel, his feet are barely dangling over his daddy’s knees, and he can barely see over the dashboard yet he says “Look, Daddy! I’m driving!” That’s how we feel sometimes, isn’t it! We think we’re in control and we’ve got this life thing! But little do we know, God’s got his huge hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. He’s really the one steering. And his feet are making the vehicle go. It’s not us at all even though it may seem like it at times!
For me, it’s easy to sit back and let God drive when things are going well. When I have a comfortable job and a loving husband. When we’re making plenty of money to pay all the bills and all of my friends and family are in good health. Basically, I’m content when life is going the way I want it. But life doesn’t always go that way, does it? In fact, it’s very seldom that life goes the way we want. And that’s when it’s difficult to remember that God is driving. That’s when it’s hard to sit back and trust him to step on the breaks when He needs to!
If something is not going the way I want it to in my life, it usually takes me a while to put it in God’s hands. I’ll be stressed out for a while and worry 24/7 for a couple days until I just cannot handle it anymore. That’s when I finally turn to God. But that’s not what He wants. He wants us to turn to Him first. He wands us to trust Him all the time. After all, He is the one controlling everything. He wants us to recognize that and to lean on Him rather than try to do it all ourselves.
So here are some verses I turn to when I find myself struggling to trust God with my life.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:25-34 ESV
“Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 ESV
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.” Psalm 32:10
“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
