Listen:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Reflect:
Trust is such a powerful proclamation of our belief. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds me of the level of surrender required to exercise trust in the Lord; to release the white-knuckle grip we have formed as we try to stay in control because we realize that resting beneath His wings is where we find peace. In our lives, we have a billion choices that shape the way we live out each day. From the habits of reading our Bible and daily exercise, to decisions like how to parent our children in the best way. It can be a lot of pressure and confusing when we look around and see a lot of varying ways to live this out successfully. Like a garden, we all have one and we all decide to tend to it differently. If we remain in Him, then it will be beautiful and as it was designed.
Recently, I made the plunge to try medication for my anxiety. My garden has been overgrown with racing, intrusive thoughts for as long as I can remember. My fallow ground consisted of exhausting every self-help remedy, prayer, and verse under the sun, sometimes literally running mile after mile to try to outrun my anxious mind. Finally submitting my pride to try medication has been a weighted decision for me, and yet I know He is trustworthy. I have found freedom and a quieted, tranquil mind. I already feel a new capacity to grow deeper in my faith. I am thankful for His pruning the parts of my mind running wild, taking the weeded thoughts away, so that what He loves in me can grow.
This surrender can look different for many of us, but when we lean on His understanding and choose to remain in Him, He becomes the loving gardener of our landscape. John 15:2
Prayer of Response:
Lord, thank you for access to you. Thank you that you are greater than my understanding. Help me to trust you on this journey, help me surrender my garden to you. In whatever season I am in, sowing or reaping, planting or harvesting, watering or pruning, be the master gardener tending my soil and giving me what I need to grow in your perfect timing.
Questions to Ponder:
- What areas of your life need tending to by the Master Gardener Lord Jesus?
- What can you do today to surrender your garden to His loving landscape design?
—Submitted by Danielle Welker
Danielle and her husband Chris live in Houston, Texas with their three children, Annabella (6), Shepherd (5), and Walter (3). Chris is in his second year of medicine at UT McGovern, while Danielle serves as a table life group leader in the ‘Real Moms’ group at Woodlands Church, Atascocita. Her heart is for deeper connection with Christ and authentic fellowship with other women.