A Practical Way to Trust God's Direction

“Oh that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” Hosea 6:3 NLT

When we look toward the unknown, we have a choice. We can let dreading what’s ahead lead to fear, or we can press on in faith. 

So why do we let doubt take over when we know God is faithful to guide us according to His plan?

Trading Doubt for Trusting God’s Faithfulness

The above verse in Hosea reminds us that God’s promises are as certain as the sun rising in the morning. We can count on it. And by pressing through doubt and fear, we learn to trust Him more.

Did Lot’s Wife Struggle to Trust?

Lot’s wife in the Bible gives us a glimpse of how God wants us to trust Him with our future. Following God’s direction, Lot gathered his family and left home. The place they lived was corrupt, but God is faithful to His children. Lot had a good heart, and God made a way for them to escape before destroying the city.

God instructed them not to do one thing. He told them not to look back. 

“But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt,” (Genesis 19:26).

How to Trust God’s Direction: Resist the Urge to Look Back

I can relate to her urge to turn back, to hang on to what she left behind. Early in our marriage, my husband and I moved several times. Each time we relocated, a pattern emerged. I would overthink, second-guess, and question our decision. 

I compared the newness of the now to the familiarity of the past, which would once again trigger fear of the future.

In times of change, I struggle to trust God’s direction. Perhaps Lot’s wife had the same questions as her family embarked on the unknown. Scripture does not reveal why Lot’s wife looked back, only that she disobeyed God’s command. 

Many times, we don’t know the why, but we must keep our eyes forward as we take the next step in faith. If we dwell on the past, we risk missing out on God’s blessings ahead.

If you’re in that place today, struggling to trust God’s direction, here is a prayer for you: a gentle prayer for those of us afraid to trust God. May we find strength and courage as we keep our eyes forward in faith!

A portion of this devotion is an excerpt from an article by Kristine Brown, “10 Women in the bible Who Struggled to Trust God’s Plan,” originally published on Crosswalk.com.

Releasing Our Need-to-Know

This morning as I was writing our devotion, I had to stop mid-sentence.

Something I battled weeks ago came crashing in on my day. Back again for more.

Truth be told, I thought I was winning the battle. I’d pushed the problem back far enough that I started to hope it was gone for good. Now with this surprise attack, an array of emotions came crashing in with it. Anger, frustration, and defeat top the list.

So I erased my first sentence and started over here. I hope you don’t mind.

Because friend, it’s easy to talk about taking risks and stepping out in faith when things are going great. But those are rarely the times when God asks us to do something hard, or even scary.

It’s the moments when our vulnerability leaves us exposed. When our only hope is to trust Him to work in our situations. To trust Him like our lives depend on it.

Developing Deeper Trust

I hate it when I start to feel like I’ve won a victory in my life only to face another surprise attack. But I’m learning that those are the moments when God beckons me to trust Him on a new level.

I grabbed the words below from an article I wrote a few years ago, because I wanted to share them with you here. We’re not alone in our struggle to trust God. And we can find encouragement from others who’ve walked this road. Others who learned the secret to holding onto hope...

When we rely on God’s sovereignty instead of our strength, we will discover faith like never before.

A Woman Who Held onto Control

“The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it,” (Genesis 3:6 NLT).

“The planner in me dislikes not knowing. I want everything written down in orderly fashion in my ultra-efficient organizer. I want to be able to cross out one item at a time on my to-do list while smiling with satisfaction. Planning makes me feel in control, and I like being in control.

So when I come face to face with unexpected circumstances, I feel self-sufficiency slip away. That’s when fear finds its place in my heart. 

Genesis 3:6 shows how Eve had this same struggle with needing-to-know the details. Eve gave in to the temptation to know more. It was a tactic of the enemy who knows our weaknesses. 

We can be just like Eve when facing the unknown. We can be very convincing as we talk ourselves into taking the beautiful fruit! We want wisdom to be able to figure things out on our own and answer all those what-if questions. What if it doesn’t work out? What if something bad happens? 

But focusing on the unknown gives fear an edge. God wants us to release our need to know and trust Him with the plan.”

Is there a problem persisting in your life right now? Are you struggling to trust God with each unexpected attack of the enemy? Friend, this is when we need to hold onto God’s promises more than ever. Let’s resist the urge to know the why and instead rely on His sovereignty.

God is for us. In the midst of battle, that’s all we need to know.

A portion of this devotion is an excerpt from an article by Kristine Brown, “10 Women in the bible Who Struggled to Trust God’s Plan,” originally published on Crosswalk.com.