We Can Trust the Lord With Our Future - Encouragement for Today - November 23, 2020

November 23, 2020

We Can Trust the Lord With Our Future
BETH BELL

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“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

I was devastated. I hung up the phone stunned after hearing that the company I had invested in — and given my heart and soul to for five years — was closing its doors.

Our team had been building a startup concept from the ground up, and we saw so much potential! And now it was gone; all of our dreams came to a halt overnight. I immediately found myself in a pity party, irritable toward my incredibly tolerant husband and everyone around me.

What was God doing?

That job was my calling. It gave me purpose and was a perfect fit for that stage of my life. My identity was entirely wrapped up in my work, and I believed it was God-ordained and of the utmost importance … wasn’t it?

You see, I’m a type-A control freak by nature. I thrive on a good plan for the future, and I want and need a Kingdom purpose in my life. Yet, I found myself without control or vision of a path forward. How would I find my purpose again?

This wasn’t the first time I found myself doubting God’s plan and thinking I had a better one.

My type-A nature kicks in a lot, and it can be very hard to let go of my ideas, my vision and my plans. Even though God taught me long ago that His plan is infinitely better than any plan I could conceive, I continually fall into old ways.

So, while grieving the loss of this calling I loved, I turned to my favorite Scripture passage. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

I may have felt lost, but what a comfort to know I was not left alone to figure everything out! Through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we are guided lovingly through life with plans that are for our good, even if we sometimes feel lost and alone. It’s such a tremendous relief to know I don’t have to come up with the plan! I can take one step forward each day, trusting God will guide me.

Author Lori Gottlieb writes, “We can’t have change without loss, which is why so often people say they want change but nonetheless stay exactly the same.” Sometimes God brings us toward His plan through loss. And as hard as it may seem at the time, His plan is always perfect.

Friend, God has the perfect plan for your life. Perhaps you are suffering a loss … of a calling, a loved one, a certain future. Does it seem your plan has fallen apart? You can trust God will use that struggle and that He has a beautiful life planned for you, even amidst all the many uncertainties in our world today. Trust that God will carry you through the pain if you’ll let Him, knowing that Christ Jesus is with you every step of the way.

Sure enough, God led me to my next calling. Now I am blessed to lead a ministry serving women overcoming trafficking, abuse, addiction, incarceration, poverty and persecution. We empower these women to realize their dreams through purposeful work in jewelry and accessory making, while helping them find God’s calling for their lives. In hindsight, I can see God’s plan so clearly. It all makes sense now!

It’s human nature to worry about the future, but God doesn’t want that stress in our lives. May the peace that surpasses all understanding embrace you each and every day. I pray you will find joy in God’s plan for your life, trusting in His will, even amidst life’s uncertainties.

Heavenly Father, help me to trust in Your will over my own, knowing that Your plan is infinitely better than mine. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is with us always, and for Your Spirit who dwells within us as we navigate life’s uncertainties. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Matthew 28:20b, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES:
Join Beth and learn more about Fashion & Compassion, a ministry serving women overcoming trafficking, addiction, poverty and persecution — empowering them through faith, healing, goal-setting and purposeful work. Click here to see the Inspiration Collection based on today’s key verses and crafted by their Artisans, and follow them on Instagram.

CONNECT:
Join Beth and the Fashion & Compassion prayer team which meets monthly via Zoom to pray over the F&C Artisans, and connect with Beth on LinkedIn or Instagram.

REFLECT AND RESPOND:
Where in your life might you need to let go of your plan, trusting in God’s will? How might you help others trust in God’s plan?

Join us in the comments today and share your thoughts.

© 2020 by Beth Bell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Fashion & Compassion for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

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Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org