DAY 14
Devotional by Jimada Robinson
Ok! I give up God! What do you want me to do? – Me
Could you please get out of the driver seat so that you can enjoy the view? – God
This was part of a conversation I was having with God during my devotional time three years ago. If you’re like me, I always have a plan or a great idea for everything. You see, I must have a plan A, B, and C. You can’t fail if you always have a backup plan. Right? Three years ago, I was in the middle of making plans for my next career and educational move. I had just graduated with my master’s degree and was eager to plan the next chapter of my life. I knew that God was moving, but the plan was not clear. Well…not clear enough to my liking. LOL! God was challenging me to trust Him. During my time with God, I found myself petitioning one idea after another. In trying to empress God with all my lofty ideas, I found myself becoming more and more confused and frustrated. I was making decisions based on my logic, but there was no peace. Essentially God was waiting for me to ask Him what He thought. It was as if He was waiting for me to conclude my one-sided discussion to be able to respond with the right answer.
After uttering those final words in frustration, it was then when God began to speak. During that devotional time, I had to be reminded of how God sees things. Isaiah 55:9 (NIV) states “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” He can see things that I can’t. He has a level of wisdom that I couldn’t even begin to conceive. I realized that God was trying to free me from my thoughts. Even though my plans sounded good, they were not God’s best for me. Letting go permitted me the freedom to enjoy the journey. I never thought of the journey as being fun. You work hard and reap a reward. That was the order that my life ran in.
God was helping me see that when He was in control, I could rest and enjoy watching Him in all His glory. I began to see the small moves God was making on my behalf and not just the destination. I swapped my endless planning and worrying with gratitude. Watching God move in my life was way more freeing than trying to coach Him. His ways will never cease to amaze me. Now I’m free from my control to actually see what God is doing. Every once in a while God reminds me of that conversation, and I begin to remember how freeing it is to enjoy the journey!