“Lord, please give me clarity and show me what I am supposed to do.”
This seems to be my go-to prayer lately. Sometimes I think “Okay, I understand what is happening now,” and then BOOM! Something crazy happens and I’m completely clueless again.
Life is hard. There are bumps, turns, and plot twists all the time. If I’m not careful, I will get pulled down by the current of this wild sea.
So what are we supposed to do when all we want is a little clarification from God? How do we keep running this race when all we see is another hill to climb?
1. Realize that God’s plans are perfect
Even in the midst of our sufferings – in our absolute confusion and heartbreak – God is in control. His plans are far better than anything we could ever imagine. He “causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28).”
Jeremiah 29:11 says that God’s plans “are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” We can only see the here and now, but God sees the past, present, and the future. He knows what is happening in our lives and He is in control of it all.
2. Pray for trust, not clarity
I get to the point in my own life, where I just want some clarification, direction, and explanation from God. Why did He let this happen? Why is this person ignoring me? Why do I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders?
I realized that I had been asking God for the wrong things. Instead of asking for clarification, I needed to be asking for a deeper faith and trust in the One who is all-knowing.
God’s plans are perfect. I want the kind of trust in Him that Abraham had when he packed his bags and fled his homeland just because God said “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you(Genesis 12:1).” He did not know where God was going to lead him, but he obeyed anyway because of his tremendous faith.
Look at Noah. He built an enormous boat – and went under a significant amount of ridicule – all because God said “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood… The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high (Genesis 6:14, 15).”
These men displayed incredible faith and trust in the Lord. I am positive that there were times where they felt completely confused and wanted answers, but they did not let that stop them from listening to and obeying God’s call.
3. Dig into God’s Word
I find it truly spectacular whenever I am having a bad day, and then I open up my Bible, and the words touch my heart and lift my spirits. It is God’s love letter to us – His bride (the church). I am amazed to think that God used ordinary, fallible, men to write it.
God uses people in their weakness. The men and women in the Bible were not perfect in any way (except Jesus). God used people like David, (who was very open about his struggles and conflicts) just like He wants to use you.
Even when we are lost, confused, and worn out, we are called to something far greater than this world. We are called to love God and love people. We are living for the hope of Heaven. Whether everything seems clear in the present or not, we need to trust that God will work everything out in His perfect timing.
Is it difficult? Yes.
It is hard to keep on fighting the good fight when all we see is the mess happening around us. It is challenging to trust that God’s plans are perfect when all you can think about is the friendship that you lost or the family member that has fallen ill.
But even in the midst of life’s storms, we must keep our eyes locked on Jesus. We must trust that His plans are good and that His words are unfailing. He will provide a way when there is no way. Hold on to that knowledge today, as you face life’s uncertainties.
Share Your Thoughts in the Comment Section!
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wow, Katelyn. very eye opening. 🙂
I’m so happy it spoke to you! 🙂
I’m glad it did too!
Oh, I can so relate to this, Katelyn! I love the way you said this, “But even in the midst of life’s storms, we must keep our eyes locked on Jesus. We must trust that His plans are good and that His words are unfailing. He will provide a way when there is no way. ”
So good! Thank you for reminding us about this, and encouraging us to keep our eyes on Jesus! 🙂
I’m glad it was an encouragement to you! Praise God!
“BOOM!”
I know the feeling lol,
“But even in the midst of life’s storms, we must keep our eyes locked on Jesus. We must trust that His plans are good and that His words are unfailing. He will provide a way when there is no way. Hold on to that knowledge today, as you face life’s uncertainties.” Such a comforting reminder! Thank you, Katelyn! 🙂
Good reminder, Katelyn! Thanks for sharing this article. 🙂 (Btw, I love eating cooking dough too!)
https://tizziestidbits.wordpress.com
Thanks for this reminder! So very comforting, and it came at the perfect time for me. 🙂
Praise God!
Very timely, Katelyn! I can relate to the BOOM! that very suddenly whisks all plans away. That happened to me a few months ago, but I did find myself asking friends to pray that I would really cast those cares on Jesus and peacefully trust Him. As a Christian with the God of the universe planning my future, I have no reason to be stressing or worried! 🙂
I too have been through a couple of BOOMS in the past couple of months. I’m glad you were able to find some comfort in these words!
Ahhh, I can totally relate, Katelyn! I have recently been learning these same things. Thank you so much for sharing!
Katelyn, thank you so much. I am a 15 yr. old guy, 10th grade, on the football team, in honors classes, great family, great friends, but I felt that there was something missing. I was so worried all of the time, I felt stressed, or down because “I’m just not good enough.” I found though that through this article (and GOD), I have been looking in all of the wrong places! I don’t need to be worried about what will happen in the near future, whether i’ll make the varsity team, whether i’ll find the love of my life, or even what others will think of me. What matters is that GOD is in control of everything, and I find my identity through him.
Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Noah, your comment made my day! Praise God! My story is similar to yours, even though most things in life seem to be going right from the outside, sometimes the hardest things to let God take control of are our hidden struggles. This article was written the day that I found out that a distant family member was going to adopt a little girl that my family was planning on adopting (and I was having some “guy trouble”). It takes daily effort to let God take control of areas of our lives such as finding the love of your life and the other things you mentioned. I hope you have a good day! -Katelyn
Thank you so much Katelyn! 🙂
Amen! I want to live with complete abandon, letting go of my life and preparing myself to see something wonderful happen to it when it’s in God’s hands. If you let Him, God will use you in ways you can’t imagine.
👏👏👏Thank you Katelyn. Great point there we need to ask for trust not clarity
God bless you soo much I really needed to see this today thank you soo much for the word of God