Trust God, He has a plan

Trust God = never fail. I looked at these words in my journal over and over. What does this mean? I was coming out of one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I got every type of rejection. Looking back at what I wrote in my journal, it seemed like He was leading me to all the things I tried. I trusted God, so what was the problem?

God gave me a promise. I tried to fulfill that idea on my own. Worried and stressed, I tried to fit in a mold that was not meant for me. 

Seek God

After months and months of trying the same thing, I stopped trying. But I never gave up; I prayed instead.

I had a dramatic change. It was like turning on the light in a dark place.  The further away from the memories of “failures” I got, the clearer I saw which way I was supposed to go.

Even then they were moments I felt like nothing was happening, at least not quickly enough.

What do you do? What can you do?

Do what you can do

I wrote down the lessons learned during this season. Most times, it is preparation for another season. It was not the end.

When God tells you to do something, that is, when you get a dream, an idea, or a desire, you see the possibility. You do not see the setbacks, rejections, and delays. You do not have the full plan, God has the full plan.

Remember how God told Moses that he should go to Pharoah and tell him to release the Israelites from Egypt? Then in Exodus 9:12, scriptures say, “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” Say what? If God tells me to do something, He should at least make it easier, not harder, right? Yet, God’s plan is bigger than any individual, and his purpose will prevail. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, Isaiah 55:8-9. We need to trust and obey. God is good, and He knows the ending from the beginning. 

What does trust in God look like?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths” Proverbs 3:5-6

Now trusting in God with all your heart without your expectations and interpretation is faith in action. First, you believe in what He says He is going to do. Then, you honor God and live worry-free without complaining, knowing that despite any circumstances you may face you will get the promise.

Remember Joseph and his dreams (Genesis 37). At the age of seventeen, Joseph had a dream that he and his brothers were gathering wheat when his wheat stood up and his brothers’ wheat bowed down to his. Joseph’s brothers hated him for the dreams he was having and that he, Joseph, was his father’s favorite.

So, Joseph’s brothers conspired and sold Joseph into slavery. Joseph was blameless the whole time.

Joseph was sold to Potiphar in Egypt, and the Lord showed him favor in Potiphar’s house. Events ensued that caused Joseph to be unjustly imprisoned. Not until Joseph was thirty years old was Joseph released and saw the dream he had thirteen years ago came to life. Joseph honored God the entire time, nowhere in the Bible it says Joseph complained or cursed God for what seemed like years of unfavorable circumstances. God had a plan, and when the time was right, the dream came true. 

Imagine that for a moment. These things may have played out in your life in a different context. You do not need to be angry or bitter about what you have lost or the injustice you have received because we serve a God who is faithful to his promises.

Have a growth mindset

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28 NKJV.

All things will work together for our good, not all things will be good. And if the end is good then was there any failure? Everyone goes through trials, but you can maintain a positive attitude. Find a new perspective, you will succeed, or you will learn. Problems or trials come to teach us lessons, remain teachable to life’s lessons. 

A person who redefines failure as learning has a growth mindset. The person with the opposite has a fixed mindset; someone who thinks they were born with limited ability and that they cannot learn beyond that.

If you are seeking and acknowledging God but still facing trials, this is just a season. Develop a growth mindset – learn the lessons. Some people may have longer seasons of crisis than others. Either way, it will not last forever, God will make your path straight. Trust God and you will never fail.