A Tale of Two Days (Friday Devotional)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

- Proverbs 3:5-6

Some days I come to church convinced I have all the answers. It feels like there is no problem I’m incapable of solving, no crisis I can’t navigate, no conflict I can’t resolve. I walk through those days with my head held high, utterly confident in my abilities.

But other days the only thing I feel certain of is that I’m completely in over my head. The simplest tasks feel like heavy burdens, questions I should be able to answer in an instant seem like impossible puzzles, and my responsibilities feel like more than I can manage. On those days, the idea of leading anyone is preposterous, because I just want to curl up in a ball.

As different as those two kinds of days are, they share a common focus: me. Whether I feel capable or incapable, empowered or overwhelmed, I’m trying to handle things all by myself. I’m not praying, I’m not seeking God in Scripture, I’m not going to a brother or sister in Christ to talk things through. I’m acting as though I have to do everything alone.

God never intended us to go through life that way. The Bible identifies Him as an ever-present help in trouble, as a Helper and Friend, as God with us. We are encouraged to seek Him, to call upon Him, and to cry out to Him. Most of all, we are told to trust Him instead of relying upon our own capabilities, to turn ourselves over to His will instead of waiting for Him to get on board with ours.

When you do that, you begin to see that both kinds of days I described are built upon the lie of self-centeredness and can be healed by the truth of faith. When you trust the Lord with all your heart, arrogance gives way to humility and you’re able to recognize that you don’t have all the answers, but that you know the God who does. Alternatively, when you lean on God’s understanding instead of your own, anxiety gives way to trust and you’re able to remember that far from being incapable, you can move mountains when the Lord gives you strength.

Some days are easier than others. But the key to getting through is not digging deep within yourself, it’s taking the hand of the Savior who is reaching out to you. God doesn’t expect or want you to go through life alone—He calls you to walk through it with Him.