In Him All Things Hold Together

My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me;
 I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily.
Oft times he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride;
forget He sees the upper and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent and the shuttle ceases to fly;
shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.   - Source Unknown.

Whom among us has never felt an occasion, a day, or an entire season when it seemed as if your life was tumbling along out of control? You may even be experiencing this at this very moment. The good news is that you're not alone. The bad new news is that another one is waiting somewhere down the line.

I wish I could tell you that once you have made it through one of these phases that it would be the last; but it won't. Some of us might experience more than others, or at least feel like we do. Even so, we all endure the feeling of loss of control. It's something we have in common.

But why? Shouldn't God help us out? Why does He let us get blown around like leaves in a windstorm? Where is He when we need Him? These are some questions that a lot of us have asked ourselves, or screamed into a pillow at one time or another. And, I might add, are some pretty good ones!

A big part of this has to do with trusting God. Trusting God with your life. I understand that after a few occasions of feeling powerless and weak in the face of a setback it's hard to do so. At that point, it's easy to think that maybe God doesn't really have control. And, if He doesn't have complete control, then who or what does? But this is where it all starts. It starts with trust.

Unlike human relationships, you can absolutely trust God. However, one reason that makes it difficult to wrap our hands around this is that we live in a very materialistic society. We don't like anyone else running our lives except us. As such, it becomes easy to lull ourselves into thinking that we can go at it alone. "God is too controlling." "I think I can do a better job." Big mistake!

God has one really big advantage over us and that kind of thinking. He has something called "sovereignty" over everything. This is the concept that God has total control over you, me, the sun, moon, stars, all of the animals, trees, flowers, oceans, etc. You name it, He controls it. He answers to no one. Everything that happens is under His control, Not yours, or mine, but His.

Now if you want to delve into the good and bad things that happen to us, that's a whole other area that deserves a lot more attention than we can reasonably, and equitably give today. Our focus at this time is on trusting God with our lives. Trusting that what He does for us is done in goodness, love, mercy, compassion, faithfulness, and holiness.

In order to reap the benefit of all of these, one must get to know God. In fact, you need to know Him, before you trust Him. This trust comes through His Word. I must warn you. It isn't easy; there's no magic formula or prayer that will do this quickly, It takes time and effort. You have to stay at it everyday if you are to really know Him.

Socrates once said, "True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us." The wisest thing you could ever do in your life is to know and trust in God. Let Him fill your mind and heart. Once you do, the sovereignty of God will become as clear as glass to you.

You'll still journey through the hills and valleys of life; that's just part of living. But you won't feel forsaken, or abandoned if you trust Him with your life. Every bump along the road is a learning experience, preparing us for something greater. Don't fight it, or become angered and frustrated by it. Let God guide You. Hand over control to Him. He knows what He is doing.

I close today's message with a quote from American athlete Allyson Felix, she says: "The most important lesson that I have learned is to trust God in every circumstance. Lots of times we go through different trials and following God's plan seems like it doesn't make any sense at all. God is always in control and he will never leave us." I couldn't agree with her more!

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18; Ephesians 1:11-12; Psalm 147:5; Colossians 1:17; Matthew 19:26

Prayer: Dear God, I trust You with all my heart and soul; I know that I cannot endure the trials and tribulations of this earthly life without You; You are my strength and salvation; my Rock. To You I am eternally grateful. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Renay