I often find myself thinking that I am entitled to certain things. I want to act on my will, and not God's. I often feel that God is supposed to give me what I want. I assume that he is supposed to make my life easy, stop bad things from happening, and make everything perfect. Sometimes, he just simply says no. Sometimes, God just has to slap us the face to make us realize who really runs the show. God is the man in charge, not us.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jerimiah 29:11
The Lord has had his plans drawn out since the beginning of time. He has a perfect, individualized plan created for each and every one of us. Therefore, it is ridiculous for us to try to figure everything out by ourselves. Sometimes, we think that we have our entire lives planned out exactly the way we want them to be. Then, suddenly, it all comes crashing down in front of us. We then blame God for it. However, God reminds us that he made all of the plans in the first place. We are the ones trying to change everything into what we believe is right for us. He tells us to just sit back and have faith in the process. He knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s not about us, it’s about him. He runs the show.
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." - Isiah 26:3
When we get overwhelmed with life, it is usually because we are not trusting in God. God tells us that as long as we trust in him, we will remain in perfect peace. Sometimes, each day seems like a burden of its own. No matter what we do, or how hard we work, everything seems to collapse. We end up feeling like we are left to pick up the pieces on our own. However, God is right there ready to assist us. When we are running around trying to get everything done, focusing only on ourselves and our stressors, we forget that God is waiting right there to give us the peace that our hearts long for.
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." - Exodus 14:14
"Be still and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10
Instead of filling our heads with anxiety about things we can't control, he tells us to be still; that he will fight the battle for us. He is, and always will be, here for us.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-29
The best part about God is that he is merciful. No matter how often we falter, he is here for us. Even if we fail a test, get too drunk, or simply forget to go to church, he is still waiting with open arms. There’s absolutely nothing that we can do to keep him from loving us.
