What To Do When the Details Are Missing From The Burning Bush Series
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 CSB
Hey friend!
Do you ever find yourself getting frustrated when you don’t know all the details of why something needs to happen? How do you typically handle it? I’ll be honest – I don’t handle it very well. I don’t know about you, but I get impatient. I am a planner. I like to have everything scheduled and planned out. I seem to operate better that way. Sometimes I can shift gears easily and roll with the changes. However, sometimes I just can’t. Especially if I already have detailed plans scheduled and I am asked to completely shift gears without any explanation. It gets frustrating. Just like trying to work a puzzle without all the puzzle pieces. It feels incomplete. Do you ever feel that way?
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been talking about the lessons God is teaching me from the burning bush. Just to recap, the first week we talked about being available for God’s kingdom teaching moments for us or mission moments for someone else. Next, we talked about how we need to be available with the correct postured heart attitude. If you missed the original post, click here to find it.
So, are you ready for the next burning bush lesson? Sweet friend, I am! This is one of my weaknesses, so I definitely need this!
Lesson #3
Detailed schedules and completed blueprints are not provided.
Like I mentioned earlier, I operate better when I have a detailed explanation of the “why and the how” of something interrupting my day. However, God’s kingdom moments will not be spelled out in a detailed format to let us know exactly what is about to happen. God can absolutely work that way if He so chooses. Of course, He can – He is God!
However, most of the time, He sends these moments to us without the details in order for us to step out in faith and obedience to what He is calling us to do. If the text I had received that morning had given all the details about why I needed to make this “pit-stop” in my day, of course, it would have been easier to do. But, stepping out in faith and following in obedience isn’t easy, especially when we have no detailed explanation. This is a crucial step for us to understand.
The latter part of Proverbs 3:5 compels us not to lean on our own understanding. When we lean on our own common sense and understanding, we can lead ourselves away from God’s plan and the very best for us. Most of the time, God’s instructions will not make sense. Just think about it. As we read the story in Exodus of the Israelites exit from Egypt, it didn’t make sense for the Red Sea to part into and for this Israelites to walk through on dry ground. Not muddy ground but dry hard ground! It didn’t make sense that Daniel could be in a den of hungry lions and not get eaten. And it didn’t make sense for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be thrown into a massively hot fire and not get burned. The list could go on and on of things that happened in the Bible that required faith, trust, and obedience even when it didn’t make sense or when the plan wasn’t spelled out in a detailed format.
Friend, this truth is one that we must remember. Trusting and following God without the details are essential to an ignited walk with God. It can feel like we are going down a path that we aren’t sure where it will lead. Our minds can start to wonder about what dangers will there be along the way? But we must remember that our key verse starts out with a pretty important word - Trust. The most important thing we can do is shift our thinking in these circumstances. Our Heavenly Father loves us and has our very best interest at heart. He would never lead us down a path that would harm us. He loves us too much. If He leads us or asks something of us and doesn’t give us the blueprints to the plan -the very best decision we can make is to trust Him and follow His leading. He will be faithful to see us through.
Heavenly Father,
You know me better than I know myself. You know how much I struggle with this truth. Help me to lean on you more and not lean on my own understanding. Teach me how to trust you more when you change my plans without any explanation or details. I know that you know what is best for me. Forgive me of all the times I haven’t trusted you with all my heart. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Dig Deeper:
“For who is God besides the Lord? And who is a rock? Only our God. God – he clothes me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and set me securely on the heights.” Psalms 18:31-33 CSB
Reflection:
Do you struggle with trusting God when you don’t have the details, or it just doesn’t make sense?
Write out a prayer in your journal sharing with God your struggles and asking Him to help you to step out in faith and obedience more.