Either we trust God or we don’t.
Today I’m stuck. Somewhere between my trust and my don’t. And since there is no middle ground, I suppose, that I don’t …
trust Him. At least not enough.
On a day intended for snow angels and hot chocolate and lots of lazy—a day designed for the simplicity of childhood understandings—I’m bogged down in the complexities of what I thought was a well-matured faith—a faith content and at peace with the unanswerables.
Instead, where peace usually reigns, there is a wrestling. Where contentedness usually flourishes, there is a mixture of emotions that scream their resistance. Where a well-matured faith usually roots, there seems but a few seedlings fighting for their anchor to the soil.
When my kids woke up this morning, they woke up to a snow day—a day off from school and from their usual routine of mandated learning. When I woke up this morning, I woke up to a day that requires my attendance in God’s classroom, where a mandated learning becomes my necessary if I want to bring health to this body and nourishment to this soul.
If my faith is to grow in its understanding of all things sacred—an understanding that issues from the wisdom and plans of Almighty God rather than my fragile attempts at the same—then I must be willing to lean into a deeper posture of trust.
What does that look like? Better still, how do I … how do we … get there?
King Solomon, rich in wisdom and with the pen to scribe accordingly, offers his voice in the matter.
“Acknowledge him.”
Acknowledge. The Hebrew verb Yada meaning “to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience, to confess, to consider, to know people relationally, to know how, to be skillful, to be made known, to make oneself known, to make to know.”[i]
To acknowledge the Lord is to simply and to profoundly know him. We lean into a better understanding and trust whenever we take the time to learn of our God, to consider his ways, and to discern his heart and mind in the many matters that fill ours with certain doubt and wavering belief.
To get there … to come to a knowing of our God … we must trust in the one resource that he has so amply provided for us. I’m currently looking at eight of them. Some opened up upon my bed; some waiting on the bookshelf for their turn.
Our Bibles—the living, breathing, and active Holy Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).
It matters not to Him what translation we read. We all host our own preferences. What matters to God is that we, in fact, read them. Ponder them. Find ourselves somewhere within the story which, in turn, always finds us in close proximity to the heart and mind of Father God.
Charles Spurgeon writes (in reference to Jesus Christ),
“He knew by His omniscience what was the most instructive way of teaching, and by turning at once to Moses and the prophets, He showed us that the surest road to wisdom isn’t speculation, reasoning, or reading human books, but meditation upon the Word of God. The quickest way to be spiritually rich in heavenly knowledge is to dig this mine of diamonds, to gather pearls from this heavenly sea. When Jesus Himself sought to enrich others, He worked in the quarry of Holy Scripture.”[ii]
Knowing God will never happen through accidental measure. Rather, it comes with the purposeful pursuit and with the intentional posture that is willing to enter into God’s classroom, where the only required textbook is the one that was written from his heart via the pen of man’s deliberate obedience.
If our paths are to be straight, if our trust is to be certain, if our bodies are to know the health and the nourishment of solid footing and sound theology, then we must be willing to walk contrary to our human nature. We must set aside our momentary need for instant understanding and, instead, rest upon the truth of God’s understanding.
Our wisdom will never exceed his. Our wisdom should be based on his, but even when wisdom seems a far reach—when answers remain at a distance and our doubts arise as to their certain arrival—we can know that our Father thinks with a greater understanding. An eternal knowledge that is timeless and void of the parameters that we so often seek.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to limit God’s work in my life. I don’t want the doubt that I currently hold in my hand to be the final word in the matter. I don’t want the answers just for the sake of having answers. Rather, I want to trust him for more. I want to know him more and to believe that with the knowing will come a wisdom that exceeds my current and very temporal way of looking at things.
An understanding that can, every once in a while, take a day off to enjoy the simple faith of child who isn’t worried about tomorrow, but instead, is frolicking in the embrace of winter’s gift. In the trust and belief, that snow angels and hot chocolate are the order of the day and that everything else will takes care of itself, in God’s time and in God’s way. Thus, I pray…
Give me the trust of a snow day, Father, when I can rest and enjoy the moment rather than worrying about the moments to come. Thank you for the gift of your Word that allows me to know you, thus finding my peace for the journey. I freely admit that I cannot understand the road ahead. I am frustrated by the unanswerables that have found their way into my hands. Give me the courage to place them into yours. Teach me the trust and certainty of a sacred leaning, and keep me at your feet until I pass the exam. May the treasures of your Holy Word be the rocks that build my solid and sure foundation for the season to come. Amen.
[i] Baker and Carpenter, entry for “Yada,” The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003), 3038.
[ii] Charles Spurgeon, entry for “January 18,” Morning and Evening (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1995), 37.
Copyright © January 2009 – Elaine Olsen
oh, i wish we had gotten snow…looks like yall had fun!!
Nothing like a snow day to bless the world with a designed acoustic not granted any other clime. It’s good for listening, and equally good for hearing. It’s also good for etching a memory into the hearts of those little (and not so little) snow angel makers.
Be blessed,
Kathleen
Beautiful, Elaine! Trust is a huge thorn in my side…..you got all the snow I was hoping for.
I enjoyed the snow today with my boys as well. I wish I could say my mind was where it needed to be, it wasn’t. I am struggling right now somewhere in between having to constantly stuggle and knowing that I have been blessed. The devil just likes to creep in and steal the joy of the moment. Please pray for me as I continue to struggle with things and the need for my faith to be renewed.
Oh, your prayer just echoed my own! I soaked in every word of this post. I’m in the same place. Praying for you as I know you are praying for me/us.
Kind of gives new meaning to “Yada, yada, yada”, no? Know, know, know…hmmmm. Wrestling is a good thing, Jacob was one of the firsts in the ring. I love a good snow day, even though it sends my plans for the day into a tailspin. I have found, like you, that: “An understanding that can, every once in a while, take a day off to enjoy the simple faith of child who isn’t worried about tomorrow, but instead, is frolicking in the embrace of winter’s gift. In the trust and belief, that snow angels and hot chocolate are the order of the day and that everything else will takes care of itself, in God’s time and in God’s way.”
Love you, Faith Elaine!
Unanswerables…you know my heart was there yesterday…and with them came the companions of fear and doubt. They sometimes seem to accumulate like a snowball, growing larger as they roll through my mind.
Thanking the Lord for the Son that melts them away, and lets us embrace the fun of a snow day.
Hugs to you,
Joy
It snowed all around our house…but not at our house.:( So, please let me say, I loved seeing your snow angel! 🙂 I’m glad that you got the chance to have a “snow day” with your sweet family. After all (as Scarlet says) tomorrow is another day!;)
God Bless,
Amy:)
Amen and Amen, Mrs. Elaine:) Trusting the Lord with all our hearts and not trusting in our own understanding. His ways are beyond us…Blessings to you Mrs. Elaine:)
katiegfromtennessee
From the snow angel to the warm sharing of a searching heart, this is beautiful, Elaine. Amen to your advice that we search for Him in His Word – I also love to look at passages in several translations. Peace to you and your snow bunnies!
We got just enough snow for school to be canceled…AGAIN…The kids have been out for a week this time, for total of 10 days (as of today! They are still trying to finish their first semester.
Your post reminds me of the song, “I Want To Know You.” Have you heard it? Here are the lyrics:
In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there
In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait only for You
Cause, I want to know You more
[Chorus]
I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more
I am reaching for the highest goal
That I might receive the prize
Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside
Out of my way
Cause, I want to know You more.
***
When my trust waxes and wanes, when I worry and fret, unable to stop the anxiousness within me, I have to really force myself to stop and LISTEN. It is only then that I hear my Father’s voice, reminding me that in order for Him to take control, I have to let go.
Those are not words I always want to hear, but then I continue to be a work in progress. :o)
Praying for you, praying for our nation, praying for our new president. May God bless America.
Just popping in to catch up on your last few entries. Blessed beyond measure as usual.
I wanted so much to go out and make a snow angel yesterday . . . however, I didn’t think I could get up off the ground once I got down there! I’ll admire your young’uns masterpieces and be satisfied!
Blessings and hugs from the creek!
Elaine, Prov. 3:5-6 are some of my favorite verses. May we trust Him always…
Oh my friend…this so speaks my heart this morning!! I love it when God does that with your post and my life. I was drawn to 1 Peter 1 this morning in my quiet time and I leave you verse 8 which I have prayed back as I trust in my current sistuations:
(Holman Christian Standard Bible)
“You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy”
Rejoicing and trusting Him and praising God for the joy that fills my heart and can only be from Him.
In His Graces~Pamela
Beautifully said. I need a snow day here in Fla (badly!) thank you for giving me this wonderful picture and a good reminder that we all have days when trusting is hard.
Oh, Elaine,
I feel your struggle. You have chosen the narrow road and the path you travel is not an easy one. Your post today reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ quote: “I haven’t always been a Christian. I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”
Christianity isn’t a comfortable journey, but our struggles aren’t in vain. For we walk by faith, not by sight. And some day we’ll receive the future glory that has been promised.
Blessings and prayers for a snow day.
Kelli
Thank you so much for today’s post. It really spoke to me. It’s just God continuing to speak to me about this.
Blessings,
Sheryl
Elaine,
1) You and I, only 24 hours apart, had the same prompting of sharing a picture. My particpation with the snow on Saturday at our cainb. My very own snow day, yours on Tuesday. I love how fun….life can be, in our 40’s!
2) I want to be found watchful, anticpating, expecting and found APPLYING…in God’s classroom!
This was a heart felt post directed at my own heart, friend.
Lovingly,
Yolanda
Trust is SO tough sometimes – thank you for this. You blessed me.
I love your God-hungry heart!
(That’s the best snow angel I’ve ever seen! We’re having odd weather here…at almost 5000 feet elevation in Colorado in the middle of winter, and we’ve been nearing 70 degrees every day this week. Unheard of. But nobody’s complaining…)
Hugs to you!
wifeforthejourney:
A rare day of eastern NC snow begets an exceptional post! Thank you for your willingness to “self disclose” and your encouragement to acknowledge God today. You are right, our faith does not grow by accident.
Snow is a fleeting thing where we live. It’s arrival is novel, exciting, and welcome even if the disruption to our routine is going to get old fast. I pray that my own since of discipline to seek the Lord and trust in Him will come with far greater frequency than our snow days.
Love you, and praying for our continued trust in God’s plan,
~ Billy
Bless you Elaine. I trust in the hope that God has settled your struggles with spiritual maturity today & on. I don't remember any day specifically of this kind of struggles. My spiritual struggles have been with satan & he loses every time. I pray he loses in your life as well.
Wow. After reading that definition for “Yada”, I just want to say…
YADA, YADA, YADA!
To know, to learn, to discern – and on and on – our God; to dig deeper and think broader, and thus, to TRUST MORE AND WORRY LESS.
That’s a word that teaches and goes down like so much hot chocolate.
Hugs,
Melinda
This was sooo good!
If our paths are to be straight, if our trust is to be certain,…we must be willing to walk contrary to our human nature. We must set aside our momentary need for instant understanding and, instead, rest upon the truth of God’s understanding.
I took so much from that! I don’t want to limit His work in my life either–I just need to be willing to be still–so hard!! and listen to His will for me.
Thank you as always!
Love ya,
Susan
PS–Y’all got all of the snow! It by-passed us in Greenville!!!Lucky!
Elaine…I think that a whole lot of other Christian women are experiencing some of the same feelings you are having right now. I know I am! And I honestly and truly think that it is a new, pumped-up attack from Satan in this New Year! But that probably means that we are on the right track!
Loved the post from start to finish! Also loved the pictures of your family out in the snow! Brrr!
Love ya,
Marilyn
What is hardest for me…on most ending in “y”…is your words exactly—“we must be willing to walk contrary to our human nature.” Right. willing. Without pushing, pulling or proding from any force outside ourselves.
That’s tough cookies for me. Try as I might…even dunkin’ ’em in chocolate milk doesn’t help 🙂
Love you and thank you for this WORD for my heart!
Wow, what a great lesson in a snow day!
Such beautiful pictures and I sure wish that we could get more snow….. Southern Oklahoma has moved into a warmer path……… Bummer…. we used to get beautiful snow falls……….. Now I can only make a snow gnat instead of snow angel! hahahhah
hugs
“The Word became flesh…” How I need the Word to indwell my flesh, to transform me and give me spiritual knowlege. Sometimes exercising faith comes easier than at others. But holding to the Word is what keeps us moving forward. (My random thoughts there!)
He is so good to love us so much to keep some of the details to Himself… no matter how much we beg Him! And I wonder sometimes, can He trust me?
Yes, the Bible is the ultimate source to know God and His ways. How often we get so busy and don’t take enough time to allow Him to speak to our hearts. A snow day sounds like fun, especially since the chances of my seeing snow in Phoenix is not likely. I used to love making snow angels though growing up in NY.
I don’t want to limit God’s work in my life, either. Not ever.
Thank you for these encouraging words.
Oh, the snow day looks wonderful, and the hot chocolate sounds wonderful. Your kids are adorable.
Another beautiful post.
That snow angel says it all – the simplicity and beauty. I love your thoughts…
Glad ya’ll got some snow too.
Ours was so refreshing. Sometimes these things are necessary to bring my brain to a halt…a snow day was the perfect solution.
The quietness of the snow made His voice so much clearer.I think that reveals something to me about His heart….still processing.
Sometimes He knows just what I need. 😉
you bless my socks off. What a great example!