When Trusting God’s Plan Looks Impossible
“And when the Lord sent you out from Kadesh Barnea, he said, ‘Go up and take possession of the land I have given you.’ But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You did not trust him or obey him” Deuteronomy 9:23.
In this verse and surrounding passage, Moses is recounting Israel’s history in the wilderness. And it wasn’t very pretty. He was reminding them of how their lack of trust led to rebellion.
To read this whole passage for context, click here.
God is not after obedience for obedience sake. Or because He’s power hungry. Or a dictator.
What God wants from us is trust. And obedience reveals trust. That’s because obedience often looks like it will result in loss or ruin.
So, the only way we can do it is if we trust God is going to somehow work it out of us. And protect us from the loss and ruin we seem to be courting with our obedience.
Obedience Will Bring Loss Unless God Shows Up
In fact, I believe God has so ordered things so that obedience and righteousness will often result is loss or ruin, unless He intervenes on our behalf.
Tithing when you don’t have enough money to make ends meet is a good example.
From a purely human perspective, obedience to this principle will bring about even more shortfalls and poverty. So that’s why it requires trust on our part to do it.
We must believe that God will show up for us if we’re obedient. And enable us to pay the bills now.
And have an abundance for every good deed later (2 Corinthians 9:8). And that’s exactly what He will do if we continue to trust and obey.
Staying in a difficult marriage for righteousness sake is another example. Our needs aren’t being met. We feel lonely and alone. We don’t have hardly any of the positive aspects of marriage. But all of the bad.
Our one and only earthly life is ebbing away in this miserable marriage. And there is no hope in sight. It’s adding up to more loss and misery by the day. (Can you tell I speak from experience?).
As We’re Trusting God’s Plan, He Will Make a Way
But as we continue to reveal our trust in God through obedience, He will make a way for us. Not only are we becoming strong and Christ-like in it, but He promises to give us our hearts desire Psalm 37:4.
And enable us to somehow get our needs met in the meantime as we continue trusting His plan.
Obedience requires trust. And trust is what God is after. Whether we know it or not, if we obey, it’s because we trust Him. And we disobey to avoid having to trust.
You can find a few principles that were helpful to me in this area in The Israelites in the Wilderness: How to Get Out Faster.
To read another post similar to When Trusting God’s Plan Looks Impossible, you may enjoy (Dis)obedience in the Bible; Sobering Examples.
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