"Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservations."
~ Elton Trueblood
~ Elton Trueblood
Trust the Lord to Decide
#encouragement
"You shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there... and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest ..."
~ Numbers 35:11,25 (NKJV)
The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD.
~ Proverbs 16:33 (NKJV)
In ancient Israel, the Lord designated six places as "cities of refuge," where a person who accidently caused death was placed under house arrest, and was thereby protected from an avenger. The manslayer was required to remain in a city of refuge for as long as the high priest lived—a period of time ultimately under the Lord's control.
I like the idea of putting a matter squarely in God's control. Every once in a while, when I come to the end of my mental capacity to render judgment in a sibling dispute, I get out a coin and ask, "Will you trust the Lord to decide?" My wise children inevitably say they will. We recite the above passage from Proverbs, pray and tell the Lord we're giving Him the decision, then flip. One side will evidence quiet disappointment, but contention ceases.
Peace may be found if one allows that those matters which truly lie outside our control are yet under God's control. We have freedom to speak to Him about the situation, and perhaps by our prayers move His hand. If we decide ahead of time that we will rest in His decision, we can save ourselves a great deal of anxiety.
This does not require great faith, but only the faith of a child who trusts a loving Father.
Our Father in Heaven, You are wise and good. We cannot ask for anything better than Your will. Please increase our faith in You. Please help us find the balance between trust and presumption. Please grant us Your peace whatever our circumstances.
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Photo from homeaccentstoday.com
Ours is to crucify the flesh as long as we are alive. Our spiritual rest is so longed for, its the body that holds us back in the end from feeling all the comfort that 'rest' can provide. Therein lies the battle, don't you think?
ReplyDeletePeace in any circumstance...what a great reminder, Anne. In these tough economic times, it's important to trust Him completely! God bless you today.
ReplyDelete"If we decide ahead of time that we will rest in His decision, we can save ourselves a great deal of anxiety." This is a very pregnant statement. It has the Gospel and the story of the human condition rolled up in it.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I will meditate on today: If Russell decides ahead of time that he will rest in His decisions, he can save himself a great deal of anxiety...
. . . Father, I need Your Holy Spirit to do this. Cut down my pride Father, and encourage me . . .
Gwen, I suppose it is indeed the faith of a child to not worry about matters entrusted to Him. I do try not to be too grown-up about such things.
ReplyDeleteRussell, I think a key is that we've sufficiently prayed about each matter for which we acknowledge His decision. Pregnant statement? Perhaps the peace the world says it wants could be had if humanity would pray about the "Gospel and the story of the human condition"—with the active spirit that engages itself with the Lord's will. If just Christ's people united in this, might His kingdom be manifest on Earth?
T. Anne, the battle is very much one of flesh vs. Spirit. I believe that every single yielding to the Spirit—and every single resisting—shifts the balance of control. The rest of Hebrews 4:9-11, is definitely within our reach. Note that the next verse puts that rest in the context of God's Word.
I trust my precious Father with my life.
ReplyDeleteAnne, I wish some adults would trust prayer and the flip of a coin and just evince "quiet disappointment" when things don't go their way! LOL! Those are great lessons that you're teaching your kids.
ReplyDeleteI love the coin flip and sending it up to God. Need to try that one. "Perhaps by our prayers move His hand." I wonder how much we'll learn in heaven about what our prayers meant while we were on earth?
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
I like the way you've taken those Old Testament passages, and shown how those people's futures were entirely under the Lord's control and timing. To trust the Lord and let not our hearts be troubled (at all) in situations that are completely out of our hands, is a liberating lesson to learn. (Took me a long time...) But as you mentioned in your conclusion, reaching that place really does release the peace of God into our hearts.
ReplyDeleteSuch peace comes when we let go and trust the Lord with everything. I love the quote you shared. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDenise, you evidence that trust all the time. :D
ReplyDeleteRosslyn, would it surprise you to know I've occasionally used the coin toss for myself? I don't want to use it as a regular substitute for being still and listening for the Lord. But in moments when I've needed to make a snap decision and found myself vacillating, I've employed the coin and put my concerns quickly to rest.
Wendy, I believe one of Heaven's greatest joys will be discovering the answers to prayers we never heard about, and learning of all the people who prayed for us.
Peter, however long it takes to learn the lesson of balance between God's will and our active cooperation, once learned it becomes one of the most liberating principles of all Christendom. The peace it brings (*sigh*) ... truly beyond understanding.
Angela, don't you think that peace is a taste of heaven? : )