Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Summer is here, and for a lot of you, that means vacation! Some of you may be heading to the mountains, the beach, or maybe you are heading to a theme park for a few days. I love spending a few days in a certain Orlando theme park, but I have a confession to make: I don’t like rollercoasters. I have never liked rollercoasters. I don’t like how fast they go, I don’t like going that high, and don’t even get me started on those shaky wooden roller coasters. There are lots of things I don’t like about rollercoasters, but I think it all comes back to this: I don’t like being out of control.

Can anyone else relate? I like to think I am an easygoing person most of the time, but time after time, God has shown me that I like to be in control. I think I can do everything on my own, and I don’t like to ask for help.

Proverbs 3:5-7 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

That sounds simple, right? Trust God, seek His will, and He will show you the path to take. So, why do we make it so hard sometimes? I think it comes back to our desire to be the one in control. We think we know what is best, so we come to God with our plan and ask Him to bless it. Or worse, we think we know what is best and we go ahead with our plan, leaving God out of it altogether.

Psalm 139 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It talks about how intimately God knows us. Verses 1-4 tell us, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.” God knows EVERYTHING about me: how I think, what I’m feeling, all my flaws. He knows that I don’t like giving up control.

When we are hesitant to admit we don’t know everything, when we don’t ask for help, when we don’t relinquish control and trust that His way is better than ours, we could miss out on what God has for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God knows us, and His plan for us is good. We can trust Him with the details of our lives! We just have to seek Him and be willing to give up control. It won’t be easy, but when you do, you will experience a peace unlike any other, knowing that the God of the universe is in control.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.
  
• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
  
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises? 
  
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you? 
  
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.