What Do I Do with My Desired Outcomes?

I’ve been studying the topic of trust lately and have come to realize that I attach a great deal of my trust in God to my desire for things to turn out like I think they should. I want the goodness of God to make circumstances good in the timing that seems good to me.

But that’s not how faith works. It’s actually a sign that because I still don’t understand what he has allowed to happen in the past, I’m struggling to trust him with my future.

I’m reminded of this big, uprooted oak tree I once saw after some bad weather. As I got closer to the fallen giant, I had to know: What made such a seemingly immovable tree fall? One of the men working said, “Shallow roots and ants.”

“Huh?”

He explained that sometimes big trees that grow in yards with sprinkler systems get so easily satisfied by the water from the surface that the roots don’t go deeper into the ground for water. The trees can look strong and stable, but they have shallow roots.

For me, when life looks like I expect it to and feels good, I am tempted to get satisfied with where I’m at and not continue to grow deeper and deeper in my faith. Then, I too get shallow roots. This option seems okay until a storm comes, which they will.

The ants played a big part in this tree falling as well. They target where any sort of moisture has started to weaken the wood. Taking full advantage of the softer wood, they wear away at it, eventually making the tree hollow inside, even though it may look solid from the outside. The more hollow the tree becomes, the more it will lose structural strength.

This all happened to the tree slowly, daily, one compromise after another.

I am a lot like that tree.

But instead of running away from God as I face circumstances that aren’t good, I want to remain strong and secure, deeply rooted in the truth that His job is to hold and handle our future (see Proverbs 3:5-6).

This is weighty stuff. But for today, challenge your heart with this: Trusting God is holding loosely the parts of my life I want to hold most tightly.

Is it easy? No. But is it the pathway to the peace we long for? Yes, it really is.

RESPOND: How might you stay rooted and firm in God’s love for you so that you can withstand storms that come your way? How might this help you grow in your trust of Him?