Some of my favorite memories from when I was a little girl were the times my Dad came home from work and I ran up to him and hugged his legs, and then we would have an impromptu dance session right there in the kitchen. He grabbed my hands tight as I stood on top of his shiny black dress shoes, and we danced around the linoleum floor as Dad sang or hummed a little song that he made up on the spot. I smiled and laughed and leaned back to look up at my Daddy’s face as we stepped and swayed this way and that together. He led, I followed. I wasn’t straining my neck to see where we were going and I wasn’t worried about which direction the next step would take us. I was having fun and was full of joy as we danced together.
When I think about trusting God, this is the picture that comes to my mind. He has a safe grip on my hands and with each step taken, He is leading me somewhere beautiful. He is my Daddy, smiling down at me as I gaze into His face. I don’t need to turn my head to see where we are going, or try and guess what step He will take me next, all I need to do is hold on tight, keep my eyes focused on Him, relax, trust, and enjoy the dance He’s leading me in.
Trusting isn’t always easy. It doesn’t always feel like God is with us or that we are doing a beautiful dance together. Often it feels like I am going to fall and I get scared or worried by the circumstances that surround me. But I’ve learned that I cannot rely on my feelings. My feelings do not equal truth.
The truth is, God is a rock. He is constant and never changing. Even when our surroundings are uncertain, God is not. He is firm and always present.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6
“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” – Isaiah 26:4
When we trust God, life is actually easier. In our minds it often seems like trusting makes things more difficult, because we have a desire to understand and to be in control. But when we surrender our lives to Him completely, He lifts the burden of having to figure everything out. We can relax and find rest while He does the heavy lifting.
The key is to keep our eyes set on God, and only glance at our problems–even when our tendency is to do the opposite.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 NKJV
“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5 AMP
It’s easy to trust God when things in our life are going well. But what about those other times? My desire is to be consistent in my trust…to trust Him at all times, not only when it’s easy. God has never let me down, He has always taken care of me and my family, so I have no reason not to trust that He will continue to do the same.
Even when life’s circumstances get tough and undesirable, I choose to hold onto God’s hands, step up onto His feet, look at His face, and let Him lead me in this dance called life.
I Will Trust You by Bryan & Katie Torwalt
Though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil things
In this life I have seen your faithfulness
In this life I have found your grace, God
I will trust You
All my hope is found in Your love
I will trust You
My whole life is found in Your love
Though my eyes cannot see every single step
And my heart feels unsure again
I’ll remember the strength of your love, oh God
I’ll hold onto the peace you bring, yeah
Your goodness, kindness, faithfulness
Persist through the night
