Most people like being in control. Period. Everyone wants things to happen according to their wishes and timetable. But sometimes, God has other plans; He always has the final word.
Oswald Chambers correctly observed, “Our Lord never asks us to decide for Him; He asks us to yield to Him—a very different matter.” These words serve as a reminder that even when one can’t fully understand what God is doing, one must trust Him and accept His will.
Everyone will experience adversity and pain. As a human being with limited comprehension, one can never fully understand the will of their Father in heaven. But when believers trust a benevolent God, they must also trust His providence.
When Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, as described in Luke 22, He poured out His heart to God. Jesus knew of the agony He was destined to endure but that God’s will must be done. Like Jesus, a believer will face trials that bring fear and trembling to the very depths of their soul. Likewise, they must seek God’s will, not their own.
Has there ever been a personal tragedy that was hard to understand? If so, it’s time to make peace with life. It’s time to forgive others and surrender to the Lord. It’s time to accept the unchangeable past, embrace the priceless present, and have faith in tomorrow’s promise. It’s time to trust God completely. And it’s time to trust God to make a way—He will make a way when there seems to be no way.
Isaiah 43:18-19 says: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Acceptance means learning to trust God more. Today, think of at least one aspect of life that has been hard for you to accept. Then ask God for the ability to help you accept it and trust Him for the future.
By Steve Arterburn