Relying on God

“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day, as if nothing had yet been done.”
—C.S. Lewis

Relying on God…trusting Him with the ins and outs of daily life. Not an easy task, is it? But God wants us to rely on Him—to trust Him, and rest in His divine will.

Last October, as I was preparing to write a novel during November, I became pretty stressed as I wondered how it would all turn out. A year before, I had written part of a novel, but it never amounted to much. I was afraid that this time would turn out like last time—an incomplete story. When October 31st rolled around, I was really worried. I felt like I hadn’t done enough planning, but my time was up—there was no way I could do much more then!

That night, I wrote this in my journal: “I’m scared. Really, really, really scared. I don’t want to do NaNo [National Novel Writing Month]—it looks waaayyy too big. I don’t want to do it any more. At all. I feel absolutely burned out.”

Then, November 1 came. And after praying about it—casting my cares on God (1 Peter 5:7)—it was okay again. And do you know? That book was finished in record time—because, I believe, God helped me. It wasn’t easy to trust that it would all work out, but it did in the end.

“God never asked us to meet life's pressures and demands on our own terms or by relying upon our own strength. Nor did He demand that we win His favor by assembling an impressive portfolio of good deeds. Instead, He invites us to enter His rest.”
―Charles R. Swindoll

“That’s great, Esther. But I tried it. It doesn’t work for me.” God doesn’t ask you to just try it—He wants you to do it. Part of asking God to help us—relying on His providential care—is having faith that He will do it. James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Having faith is difficult. But faith and prayer work together. And usually, in the end, God works everything out.

Believe it. Apply it.
~Esther