Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. — Proverbs 3:5-6 We recently were able to spend time at the beach with the grandchildren–oh yeah, and their parents! Although it was not the first beach trip for our three year old granddaughter, it was probably the first one she will remember since she was so small on her previous visit. On one of our first days there, she was helping her older brother build a sand castle of sorts, digging holes and pouring water where they wanted it to go, piling up dry sand where they didn’t. They were having a fun time with the shovels and rakes and buckets, when much to their surprise, the tide came in and started washing away all of their work, flooding even the dry places with sea water.
With the cutest little furrowed brow only she can make, she turned around, pointed her tiny finger at the ocean and yelled, “NO, NO!” It was easy to see she was incensed by the audacity of the sea to cover her work, pushing water into areas she wanted to stay dry. She was so frustrated that she didn’t even notice all of us laughing at the idea of her telling the ocean where to stop.
We all had a good laugh and spent the rest of the day hanging out on the beach, watching the children play. Later that day when things quieted down, I recalled those moments on the beach and thought how funny it was that our cute little three year old thought she could tell the ocean what to do. Imagine that.
I was suddenly humbled as the verse came to mind: “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” It was almost as if God was saying, “Who does that baby on the beach remind you of?” Um, me?
Yes, I was humbled as I was reminded about all the areas I “allow” God to flood with His presence, but also the many, many areas that I turn and tell Him, “NO!”
“This area is MINE!” “This part of my life is off limits!”
(I don’t look quite so cute doing that I have to admit.)
Maybe I don’t do it audibly, but when I continue in a direction from where I’m convicted to turn or when my thoughts about something or someone do not line up with what He says about it, when I do those things I shouldn’t and don’t do the things I should, I’m pretty much pointing my finger at the Creator of the universe and saying, “NO” to God. I “scream” that I know more than He, the omniscient One, does. I lean on my own feeble understanding, selfishly trying to fulfill my own wants and dreams, and I definitely do not acknowledge Him.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that day on the beach, at the moment I felt His nudge, I’d trusted God to pour into all areas of my life and all you could see now is Him, unable to find even one high place that I kept all to myself? How different might I look today!
However, that’s not the case. My “pet” sins, my thoughts, my selfish ways are still there. Many days all you can see are those high, off-limit areas of my life, unfortunately. I’m a work in progress, STILL. Yet, He’s ever patient, continuing to convict, and thankfully willing to forgive and guide me.
Maybe one day, you will look at my life and only see Him. Until then I pray that I sit at His feet and continue to let Him point out ALL the areas of my life that I’ve tried to keep to myself, help me change into the person He wants me to be, so that He never hears that emphatic, “NO!” about anything again.
Hope to see you there!
