Over and Over Again

Have you ever had something just keep coming up over and over and over again. It seemed like everywhere you looked that same thing kept popping up? This has happened to me in the past and it wasn’t anything real relevant, it was like the same commercial for a TV show would come on like every time I turned the channel, or some song would come on the radio and when I turned the station at the end of the song it would be playing on the other station, again nothing really major, just things that make you go “hmmm?”

Well, it happened to me again this morning but this time it was more than just something that made me go “hmmmm?” Today when I saw it again, it actually brought tears to my eyes and choked me up because it has come up so very much over the last few days and I know it is God’s way of reassuring and encouraging me! Every time I see it I feel like He is speaking directly to me, and every time I feel like I understand it a little more. I am talking about Proverb 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. This was the focus verse of my blog post yesterday, the verse that God used to speak to me yesterday during my daily reading of Proverbs, it was the verse God showed me when I was looking up verses about waiting for Him, it’s the verse God showed me when I was looking for verses about prayers, and then this morning it shows up AGAIN in my morning devotional (http://www.proverbs31.org/devotions/). When I saw this verse in my daily devotional today it just made me cry. The verse is not the focus of the devotion, it is just mentioned but again this same verse has appeared in my daily time with God. I know that God is pressing this verse into my heart for a reason; He knows that this is the most difficult thing for me to understand and do. I have such a hard time just letting go of something and trusting in Him to take care of it. That’s why I pray about the same things over and over and over again, and then worry about them over and over and over again.

It is certainly no coincidence that this verse keeps coming up in my daily time with God. This verse speaks to so many different things that we all struggle with from little things to big things;

-          I pray “God I really want to lose these last 5 pounds but I can’t seem to control the craving for things I know are unhealthy, please help me make better choices in what I eat” and God responds Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.  

-          I pray “God please help Bobby pass this test; Garrett find someone to apprentice him; Ashley find her niche in teaching” and God responds Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.

-          I pray “God please protect my children as they grow up and start to experience this world on their own, please God watch over them and keep them near You” God responds Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.

-          I pray “God please help me decide what to do about my job, do I stay where I am or explore options elsewhere. Help me know what to do, show me the answer please, I don’t know what to do!” and God responds Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.

-          I pray “God please tell me what to do about our finances, how do we get out of this debt?” and God says Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.

-          I pray “God I want to be a better Christian, I want to live in Your word and be a reflection of Your love but I just don’t know what to do or how to do it” and God responds Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.

See it?? You see, in everything I have struggled with (and that list is by no means complete, that list is just the tip of the iceberg) all the prayers I pray over and over and over again, I can find peace in that one verse Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. I am sure God has pressed this verse into my heart to help me understand that He wants me to trust Him fully, to rely on Him fully, and to believe Him fully. I have a feeling this isn’t the last time this verse is going to pop up in my time with God, He knows the area I struggle with the most and, like any good parent, He is going to keep reminding me that I need to trust in Him and let Him guide and me through this crazy world.

Father God, I thank you for your gentle consistency in teaching me to trust and follow You fully. I thank you for showing me exactly what I need to see when I need to see it. Father I am so thankful that you are a patient and loving God who continues to be with me as I grow in Your word and as I grow to understand more about how to trust You with all my heart. Thank you Father for loving me just the way I am and for helping me to become more than what I thought I could be.  In Jesus' holy name Amen