When Jason accused his girlfriend, Kasha, of sabotaging his painting, she knew something had gone terribly wrong. She was helping him clean his apartment because he had been furiously working on his final thesis exhibition for weeks, and it was stressing him out. He lost it on her and all she could do was stand there, tears welling in her eyes and her mouth agape from utter shock. He’d never raised his voice at her, or at anyone else that she knew about. Jason and Kasha have dated since high school, and she loves him more than she can say, but he’s changing. He’s taking meds to stay awake all night, and he’s been obsessing over things that never used to matter. She wonders if it’s the pressure getting to him, or if he’s acting out because he doesn’t want to get engaged like they always planned.
Kasha has counted on the groom and wedding of her dreams, and she hasn’t kept that a secret. She’s proud of Jason. With both his parents gone, he’s had a tough time, but he’s worked very hard, and he’s always been such a kind and thoughtful person. For years, Kasha’s depended on Jason to remind her to stay encouraged, to keep the faith, and to remember that she’s a child of God. She never imagined that he would be the one to forget this. Since she’s known him, his artistic talent has always been doted on by teachers, professors, and everyone else, but he seems obsessed with it lately, and she doesn’t know what to do.
Prayer will turn things around, but when you haven’t had to deal with a certain kind of issue before, thoughts of doubt can rob you of peace. It can be particularly challenging when the issue we’re praying about is something that is going on with another individual. We want things to change in them for the better, and this is God’s Will for them as well, but we must remember that God will not overstep another person’s free-will, and sometimes we expect Him to.
Proverbs 19:21(ESV) tells us, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Whether large or small, planning for the future is something we all do on some level. We have routines and expectations about the outcomes. We dream about how we want our lives to look and feel, and then we set about a course that we think will yield what we’ve envisioned. God always has a greater plan for our lives than any dreams we might have, and He can be trusted to fulfill that which He has purposed.
When it looks like our plans are not turning out the way we expect, it doesn’t mean that we sit back and do nothing. It means that we become increasingly attentive to the indwelling Holy Spirit, and follow his lead. We must look to Romans 8:28(NLT), and place our trust in God. This verse tells us, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Even when a person we love has chosen a wrong path, we must pray and leave this in God’s hands by faith. He knows the plans He has for all of our lives, and only He can make our crooked paths straight. Only He can turn what the enemy meant for our harm into something for our good.
It’s not always easy to ‘let go and let God’ in these instances, especially when our hearts are involved, but we have no other choice. God is forever and always in control. Our precious Lord and Savior said in John 6:38(KJV), “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” Jesus is teaching us the appropriate mindset, attitude, and discipline for our faith in God. We’re on this earth to do the Father’s Will, and this means that we must relinquish our agenda for His agenda. We must allow Him to lead as we follow. We will never be defeated when honoring and pleasing God is our goal. So, no matter the situation or circumstance, pray, have faith, and trust that God will take care of everything just as He has promised.■
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“God Will Take Care of Everything”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.