August 25, 2021: His Way or Yours?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Prov. 3:5–7, NKJV).

This was a verse I loved while I was growing up, however it took me a few years to actually understand it. Some people read it and say, “Oh, it’s just such a complicated passage.” But it really isn’t. The verses hold one message: His way or yours? In other words, do you trust Him?

A boy was playing with a ball, and it bounced up and got stuck on the roof. He tried several times to get it, but to no avail. The father watched all this from the porch in amusement and wonder. The boy then gave up and went to his father for help. The dad, chuckling, hit the roof, and the ball bounced off. The dad then asked his son a question: “Why didn’t you ask me to help you in the first place?”

In this passage, God is indirectly asking this question: “Why don’t you just come and trust Me to help you?” Who is this someone, or what is this thing that is giving you a hard time? What is it that you are trying to do but just can’t? What is that class you don’t like because you can’t understand it? Just trust Him. Always keep this in mind if you are tempted to leave Him out. Leaning on our own understanding = being wise in our eyes = hard times and problems.

Today, just let Him have His way in your life and see quick and easy results.

Dear Jesus, help us to trust You to direct us today. Amen.

Inioluwa Jobi is a sophomore at Takoma Academy in Maryland.