Are You Sure, Lord? - Carla D Burnette

Do you trust the Lord’s plans for you, that He knows what is best? Or do you create a plan of your own, just in case?

At the beginning of the college search process, I prayed for the Lord to show my oldest daughter which college to attend. To my dismay, she chose to attend a Christian college in the massive city of Chicago, 800 miles away from home. Honestly, I knew very little about Chicago, only what you hear on the news regarding crime and shootings.

As a parent, I was concerned for her safety. I questioned her decision, but ultimately, I questioned God’s plan for her. Are you sure about this, Lord? Chicago seems unsafe and is so far away from home. Surely, another college in a different location would suffice.

Hoping to change my daughter’s mind, we visited several colleges, in addition to her first choice. But no matter what I said or how many colleges we visited, my daughter set her heart on attending this college in Chicago. I finally gave up trying to dissuade her and prayed, “Lord, if this is Your will for her, then so be it. She is in Your hands. Help me to trust You.” 

Why do we doubt God’s plans for us or our children?  Maybe what He is asking of us makes no sense. We find ourselves questioning God and think surely there must be a better way. As a result, we may devise our own logical plan. Or maybe, we grow weary in waiting for His plans to come about. Then, we try to assist the Lord with our own ideas to hasten the process.

No matter what the situation, the Bible instructs us in Proverbs 3:5 (AMP), “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.”

First, let’s focus on the beginning of this verse. Notice the Word tells us to trust confidently and with ALL of our hearts. Sounds difficult, doesn’t it? Nevertheless, reminding ourselves of God’s attributes enables us to trust. Search for Scripture verses which speak about God’s character and His love for us. Meditate on such verses and memorize them to keep our perspective on Him. 

One example from Scripture is Psalm 103. Verses 8, 11, and 13 (ESV) declare, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him. As a father shows compassion to His children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him.”

Another way to recall God’s love is to glance back over our lives. Note how He demonstrated His steadfast love to you through answered prayer, times He forgave you, guided you, protected you and provided for you. Write them all down. Then, when you find yourself doubting, review these moments from your past. If He watched over you before, trust Him to do so again.

Along with trusting God, the second part of our key verse instructs us not to rely on our own understanding. Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

How can we discern what is best for us? We are not God, and we do not know all things. Only He perceives the future. As our Creator, He knows us more thoroughly than we do. Our responsibility is not to understand, but to trust Him completely.

The day finally came to drop off our daughter in Chicago. Despite yielding to God’s plans earlier, I admit I still experienced apprehension over the situation, not fully trusting Him. I resembled a grouchy and alarmed mother bear unable to protect her cub, fearful of what might happen to her.

My feelings changed though, after attending a parents’ meeting led by the college president. He explained the college received double the applications they would accept for the new freshman class. Because of this, the admissions team prayed carefully over each application. God answered their prayers, giving them guidance and insight to know which applications to accept.

After hearing these words, I realized God chose my daughter to attend this college. Therefore, He would protect her. God knew exactly what I needed to calm my anxious heart. How I regretted not trusting Him in the beginning. Even though I doubted Him, He extended grace and kindness by reassuring me of His plan. Now, I resembled a joyful and proud mama bear, excited about what lies ahead for her cub. I finally trusted Him completely.

May we yield to His plans over our own. Let’s choose to fully trust He knows what is best.

Father, forgive us for the times we have doubted You. Help us to truly believe You know what is best for us. May we trust in You with all of our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. Thank You for Your faithful love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection:

Contemplate on situations when you doubt God. Take time to reflect on the following questions and comment below:

• What causes you to doubt God? If you don’t know, ask God to reveal the reason for your doubt.
• What can you do differently to trust God instead of doubting? Ask God for His guidance on what actions to implement.

Additional Scripture references for further study:

Psalm 62:8 (ESV): “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” 

Psalm 100:5 (ESV): “For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalm 103:2-5 (ESV): “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”