Lately, God has been putting on my heart about all about trust and what it means to trust completely in Him. So here is what has been on my heart as of lately . . .
“”Trust Me My Child,” He says. “Trust Me with a fuller abandon then you ever have before. Trust Me as minute succeeds minute, everyday of your life, for as long as you live. And if you become conscious of anything hindering our relationship, do not hurt Me by turning away from Me. Draw all the closer to Me, come, run to Me. Allow Me to hide you, to protect you, even from yourself. Tell Me your deepest cares, your every trouble. I will never leave you. I will shape you, mold you, and perfect you. Do not fear O child of My love, do not fear. I love you.”” ~ Amy Carmichael
Lately it seems that every issue I have been dealing with comes down to do I trust God. I have been overwhelmed with a lot of things in my life, like school, but the World Race has been on my heart so much these past few weeks. It has been hard to concentrate on things that I need to get done, like studying. I get so excited about going, but then it feels like there is so much opposition opposing me about this trip. I know for a face that God is calling me to go on this trip, but there are so many people in my life who it seems are doubting me about this decision. But I keep on hearing God saying, “Janna do you trust Me? Do you really trust Me?” And all I can say is yes God I do, but what about this and that and that other thing. I have been struggling with how to completely trust God with it all- like with raising support- and God keeps on reminding me that He is in control and to trust Him with my all. He keeps on drawing me closer to Him throughout all of this and the quote from Amy Carmichael keeps on running through my head.
Then one day this past week, one of the women in my church told me this- that trusting God is knowing that God is in control through it all- even when things are not going smooth or like we had planned. Trusting God does not mean that everything will go smoothly- it is all about knowing that He is in control through it all. So I know that a lot of us world racers are struggling with this very issue-whether it is through getting sick or thinking about support or with anything else. So I would like to leave share this one last thing: It is when Elijah is running away from Jezebel after the Mount Carmel incident.
“The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was on earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” ~ 1 Kings 19:11-12
So many times we expect God to just call down from heaven, but a lot of times it is through that gentle whisper- not through the earthquake or the fire. Speaking to us in that gentle whisper requires us to be able to recgonize when God is speaking to us- we have to be ready to hear. We have to be still and truly listen. I know a lot of times I am surrounded by the things of this world and am not truly listening for God’s voice. I think that we go through these times of having to trust God, so that we will draw all the closer to Him and to be broken before Him- that is when we can truly haer His voice. We should be in constant communication with God- by ignoring all the other “voices” around us and just focusing on His, by reading our Bibles, and by praying about everything!
So I want to encourage you all to give all of your doubts, fears, anxieties to God and to truly trust Him with all that you are. I know the path can look discouarging or intimidating, but God is right there with us, saying “Trust Me- with a fuller abandon than you ever have before. Do not fear- I love you.”! So give it ALL to God and trust Him- no matter what is happening- because He is in complete control.
