December 4, 2019
Trust the Father
Arlene Pellicane
Today’s Truth
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Isaiah 30:15 NIV)
Friend to Friend
When my son Ethan was three years old, he was very afraid of going into a swimming pool. The moment his little toe touched the water, he was already screaming, “Out! Out! I want out!” But in time, and with a lot of coaxing, he could handle being in the shallow end of the pool (clinging to his daddy of course).
One day, my husband James instructed Ethan to stand at the edge of the pool and jump into his arms. Ethan was not excited at all about this new development.
Ethan did not move, his feet solidly cemented to the ground. He wasn’t going anywhere.
“Look into my eyes and trust me,” James said. “I won’t let you fall.”
With great faith and his eyes half closed, our little boy finally flung himself into his father’s arms. There were a few tears, but he emerged unscathed. And every time he jumped, it got easier and easier.
Trusting God can be difficult. It can feel like jumping into the unknown. Sometimes it takes getting to the end of our own resources and ideas to finally say to God, “I can’t do it on my own. Help, I’m jumping into your arms!”
In today’s truth, the prophet Isaiah is saying to the Israelites “in quietness and trust is your strength.” Quietness means cessation of activity. God wanted His people to be still, to come to Him and seek Him in the solitude of their hearts. But instead of ceasing, they kept striving. The following verse says the Israelites responded in the opposite manner. “You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore, you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses,’ therefore your pursuers will be swift!” (Isaiah 30:16 NIV).
In our words, it might sound something like this, “If you want to solve your problems on your own, good luck!” But there’s good news. We don’t have to depend on ourselves. We have a Heavenly Father who is waiting for us to ask for help.
We can think our problems will be solved if we just work harder, exert ourselves, and keep trying. But God says the inward strength we need to face life’s challenges is found in quietness and trust. We can open our hearts to Christ in a quiet moment, ceasing from activity and letting the Holy Spirit supply the guidance.
We just have to trust and sometimes that means taking a leap.
We have a choice just like the children of Israel. We can choose to repent, cease our striving, and come to God in quietness and trust. Or we can choose to depend on our own resources, to ride the horses of our own making into battle. We can trust the invisible all-powerful God or rely on our visible but feeble resources.
When my little Ethan closed his eyes and jumped into the pool, he was trusting his daddy to catch him. He didn’t go under the water; his dad was right there to catch him.
Even more than an earthly father, your Heavenly Father is able to catch you. There is no way you can slip through His fingers.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, I place my trust in You today about everything that’s concerning me. I know I can trust You because You sent Jesus. I rejoice because of the baby in the manger who came to take away the sins of the world. Help me to trust in You and to move forward in obedience, even when I am afraid.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
What do you need to trust God about today?
Picture yourself carrying your concerns. Now give those concerns like a heavy burden over to God. Picture that God is now carrying those concerns and holding your hand as you walk side by side.
More from the Girlfriends
Instead of resting in God, many times we turn to technology for help or comfort. This is true of the girls in your life too. If someone you love is struggling with video games, YouTube, or social media, you will want to watch Arlene’s new video course, Technology and Your Girl (plus you’ll find three free videos to learn why screens are so addictive in the first place, both for girls and women).
Seeking God?
GirlfriendsInGod.com
