How Can I Trust God Better?
“I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” Psalm 119:176 (NIV).
Do you ever find yourself slightly alienated from God wondering how you can trust God better? Our daughter’s pet helped me understand how easy it was to go astray.
“Stop it!” my young daughter scolded. Her parakeet, Frosty, had just bitten her.
“Have you held him this week?” I asked.
“I keep forgetting.”
Jade learned the hard way, that when you ignore a bird, it loses meekness. It can’t help but turn wild. Daily handling keeps the bird docile and domesticated—a pleasure for the owner.
My daughter spent a good portion of the day re-training Frosty. She loved that bird enough to overlook the temporary pain of his rejection to keep him close.
The budgie eventually adjusted his attitude. He went from biting and squawking, to rubbing his head against Jade’s cheek, whispering chirps of contentment.
My heart too, is prone to wander from my Master. Ephesians 2:1-11 lists benefits received from my relationship with Christ. Like animals, you and I once lived by our instincts—rejecting God to follow natural passions. But in his great love, God brought us near to himself.
Paul’s letter reminds us we had nothing to do with this. It’s a gift.
Sadly, when things don’t go our way we can feel resentful of the Lord’s care. Like Frosty, we might lash out, squawk, and complain. Thankfully, God is slow to anger and keeps reaching for us. He is not impatient, like we are.
We all have this instinct to be free—to fly away when the Master tries to hold us. If only we could learn staying close to the Lord creates trust. It’s that relationship—spending time with Him—that helps us submit to our Father.
When our old nature springs into action, it’s vital to remember how desperately we need God’s daily training. Today, during the busyness of life, may we find ourselves sitting calmly in the Master’s hand.
Prayer: Dear Lord, by instinct, I’m naturally prone to go feral. Please tame my heart, Master. Clip my wings if you must—anything to help me see you as my Protector and Provider. Amen.
What causes you most to wander? What are some ways you’re able to correct that? Help us by sharing in the comments below.
