This Lent: Decrease

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:10)

A quote from a devotional book I read everyday jumped out at me this morning.  I thank Sarah Young and her book Jesus Calling for this quote: Rather than planning and evaluating, practice trusting and thanking Me continually. This is a paradigm shift that will revolutionize your life.  Before reading my devotional for the morning, I had been reading posts on Facebook and one of the people I have friended, Lisa T. Bergren had commented on the same devotion. Definately a message from God that needs to be taken seriously.

So I thought about this and again that word “TRUST” jumped out at me. Do I trust God enough to let go of it all and just let him move my heart to do the right thing? It is here that I have discovered a fundamental flaw in my thinking. I say I trust God, but here’s where things fall apart, I think I am trusting Him the wrong way. I expect Him to do whatever it is that I am trusting Him with and not do any of the work to get it done. Like I can just sit back, put my feet up and God will do all the work. That He’ll zap me with some miraculous thunderbolt that will change everything, and I haven’t had to do anything to get it. I know other people who look at it a whole different way, in that they have to do everything, they can only rely on themselves and if they pour every part of themselves into it that things will change. They don’t take in the God factor.

I have a little plaque on my desk it says: Good morning! This is God I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help. So have a good day! I love you!

I have to learn to read this properly. God isn’t telling me I won’t have to do anything, instead He is saying I know how to do it. Listen for my small voice and I will show you the way, no matter what trials may lay in your path. We can overcome them together, but don’t get in my way. Don’t try to do it on your own. TRUST ME.

So my prayer for the day: Lord I trust you, lead me down Your paths and help me keep myself in the background.

I think John the Baptist said it well: For I must decrease so that You may increase.

Lord show me the way to decrease.