Learning to Trust in the Lord: Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;"

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;" 

How often do I fail at this? A lot! An old habit of mine is to try to do things on my own 

understanding.

I think, "I've got to do something more... I've got to find a special prayer like it's some magical incantation or just the right scripture. I pray for more faith, more grace, more everything. 

But, there is something that I forget sometimes...

I forget, that He is in me, and I am in Him. I forget that God's ways are far higher 

and greater than my ways. No matter what I pray, or how hard "I" try I won't get anywhere 

on my own understanding.

It's easy to trust in the Lord when things are going well. But, when there are trials and 

tribulations my faith gets tested, I start to withdraw and I try to understand why 

God isn't answering my prayers.

As the date for my having to move out gets closer, the more that I start to worry. 

My anxiety increases, and I begin to panic.

Here is a little story that I read tonight from a book called "Letting Go."

I'll Catch You

There was this cleaner on the side of a building, and the pulley snapped, he slipped, but just 

when he thought all was lost he reached out a hand and caught the bar on the underside 

of the platform. He just couldn't reach his other hand up to get a firm grip. He cried out to the 

heavens, is anybody up there?

To his surprise a voice said, Yes, son what do you need.

He said, "God, I can't hold on any longer, please rescue me."

God said, "ok son, let go of the platform and I will catch you."

After a long pause, the man said, Is there anyone else up there?"

That sounds a lot like me. I trust you Lord, but? When things get hard for me, and things are 

not okay, I react. I'm human after all. My first thoughts are fight or flight, and I say and do 

things sometimes that I wish I could take back which just makes things much worse.

I struggle, for a few minutes, hours, days and sometimes months. I have PTSD, and the 

longer it takes for me to let go, and let God the more at risk I am of having a PTSD episode, 

until I surrender to the Lord, and say, "It's all yours Lord, I can't do it." Then all of a sudden 

I'm back in scripture, reading my daily devotionals, laughing and crying at the same time
in fits of joy. God is good!

As I mature in Christ I'm learning to hear and most importantly listen to that voice, that nudge 

that urging from the Holy Spirit to seek God first in all things. When I do this I find peace,
joy, happiness, and contentment in my life no matter how bad things get.

God bless,

John's Journey in Grace