In the Deep Waters Is Where We Want To Be
I don’t like the word trust. It has been broken a million times for me and it wasn’t easy to repair. Trust is like giving your heart away in full not sure what to expect back. Or if you will even get your heart back. It could even be like handing them your key to the house, coming home with everything gone, and the key not being returned.
Trust is hard to earn back once its broken, and I know because I have broken trust too.
What happens when God tells you “trust me and lean not onto your own understanding. Trust my timing and follow me.”
Would you trust him with where you are at?
Would you trust him with where he is leading you even if you have not seen where your destination is?
Abraham did this. He left everything behind and he followed where God led. What a faithful, obedient, servant to the Lord. He wasn’t sure how his life would turn out. He wasn’t sure what it would look like. Heck, he didn’t even know what would get thrown at him. BUT….. he knew whom he served.
Abba Father.
I trusted God with everything I had in me. I knew he would make a way and pave a way. I knew with him, we would lack nothing. I knew, and still know, he is my “Jehovah Jireh” my God who provides.
Until the day came.
The week crept on me and anxiety and worry and stress all came crashing down on me. It felt like a heart attack was about to happen, until I knew it was an attack from the enemy.
I spoke in authority and told my worry, stress, anxiety to leave and I began praying.
That is when I knew…. I lacked trust in God.
Can I ask you something friend?
If your job was to tell you out of the blue, unexpectedly… “we no longer need you”…. how would you feel?
If your family member blamed you for something you honestly know in fact wasn’t done, how would you feel?
If your best friend is no longer there for you when you needed her the most.. than new friendships are trying to flourish… how would you feel? Would you trust them or hold onto the “my other friends hurt me these will too” mentality?
If you lacked funds financially knowing bills are about to come and there’s no way they can be met… how would that make you feel?
This is when we know we are in the deep waters with Jesus. Learning to lean more into Him rather than ourselves. When “do not lean into your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6) comes surreal. Being in the deep waters exposes our hearts in a way that reveals and shows what needs to be removed. It is our Fathers gentle way of showing us what’s inside. Things that are hidden, only found when we are in deep waters.
When this happens, and we are in the storm, in the deep sea, do we run to our Father first? Or do we catch ourselves running to friends and family members first?
Do we find ourselves complaining more than being grateful? Or do we find ourselves praising more rather than trying to figure it out on our own?
I know this all too well. I use to run to someone first before running to God. I wanted the “voice” that I can hear, much like a humans voice. I wanted the agreement when really God was trying to steer me the opposite of where I was going.
Let me be clear for a second. God’s voice is clear. What makes it hard to hear is the sounds, the busyness, the worry and anxiety, the thoughts that weren’t taken captive that shut his voice out. If we cannot learn to tune the shouts of the world out and tune our ears into the one who speaks ever so soft, or as loud as thunder, we may not ever hear his voice. Or his gentle whisper.
During that week of unexpected events, I knew in my heart I trusted God with everything in me. But when the sudden call came, my mind said otherwise.
Until the next morning, the enemy tried to throw his arrows towards me causing anxiety and worry, stress and unsettledness to occur.
I knew where we were at. I knew where I was at. In the deep waters.
It is in the deep waters, where we want to be, to have our hearts and minds exposed and be made clean and clear. Trusting in the very one who gave us life. In the deep waters, we learn to trust and rely on Jesus, not on ourselves, or anyone for that matter.
Nicole
I had to release it to God. I told him “you have it all Lord, not me. I don’t want to try and control or fix this, this is something I need you ever more.” I knew I needed to surrender myself. I needed to take captive all the thoughts and worries, cast them upon the Lord, and surrender. And allow him to do his will not me try to take over.
And I did.
I prayed. I shared all what was on my heart. All that bothered me. And I mean every. little. thing.
I had zero clue that there was things bothering me, until I began to sit with him and share. Until I saw that being in the deep waters is exactly where I need to be in order to get my eyes, heart and mind focused on the one who created life. The very one who created my life.
So often we are blindsided because of so much on our to-do list. Or goals that haven’t been met in this certain time frame. Or the job we desperately want but didn’t get. Even the job we currently have by keeping “busy”. And one that nobody talks about… ministry. Yes ministry. This, too, can keep our eyes off Jesus if we aren’t balanced. Busyness….
We forget about the one who created us, and how he knows the plans for us. (Jeremiah 29:11). We may plan our life but the Lord determines our steps.
Trust. It can be hard. But it isn’t. Not with God. He has never failed us before. Nor will he ever. Instead of trying to plan out a pregnancy. Trying to plan finding a spouse. Trying to plan out our future. Trying to plan plan plan… why can’t we lean into the one who is our Father of all things and all people, and allow him to direct our steps. Trusting him with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strengths. Let’s not lean into our own understanding taking control of the matters. Instead let’s trust our Abba Father, who has created life to be good, and enjoy each moment of each day we have with Him and others.
Let’s begin to praise and worship more when circumstances become uneasy, unsettled, unsure. Because praise and worship is what tunes the shouts of the world out and tunes our ears, our eyes, our minds and our hearts focused on the one who gave us life.
Sweet friend, if your trust was broken before, maybe more than once, please know this. God is trustworthy. He is worthy to be trusted. He has not once failed before, nor will he ever. He will not leave you, nor forsake you. He knows everything about you. Your needs, your wants, your desires and passions. He knows what is good for you and what isn’t. He knows everything.
He is Elohim (God of Creation, All Powerful One)
He is El Elyon (God of Most High)
He is El Roi (The God Who Sees Me)
He is El Shaddai (God All Sufficient, God Almighty)
He is Jehovah (I AM, the One Who is Self-Existent)
He is Jehovah-Jireh (God who provides)
He is Yahweh (God who never fails, He is faithful)
He is Abba Father (Father, deep intimacy and relationship)
Trust him in all things. Confide in him with all things. Share with him all things. He already knows, he just loves to listen when we share with our mouths.
He is Abba Father, the one who cares for you deeply and loves you deeply.
My Prayer for you sweet friend:
“Abba Father, you are truly magnificent. I glorify your name and I praise your name. Your name is worthy to be praised. Because you are a good good father to me, I pray for my dear friend who is reading this today and ask that you comfort her right now. Wrap your loving arms around her and may she embrace this moment, love this moment, and want more of this. I ask that you release your peace that surpasses all understanding into her heart, mind, soul, and body. May she always know that you are Father God, You are one to provide all her needs. Help her to trust in you, even when people fail us, because they will, help her to rely on you and you alone. I thank you for this sweet lady whom I get to call friend. I lift her in your arms today and ask that you supply and meet all her needs. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
Until next time sweet friend,
Nicole