Trusting in God

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge God and God will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6)
We look forward to the year ahead with hope. We acknowledge that we are living through difficult times. Each age has its own difficulties and problems and the time we are living through is no different. As people of faith, we rely on prayer and seek God's guidance and help. We have a great advantage over other people who choose not to open themselves up to the movement of the Spirit in their lives. We are fortunate in that our faith gives us hope. We believe Jesus' words from John's gospel, "I am the vine, you are the branches, united to me, you can do great things" (See John 15:5). We gain inner strength from those important words. United to Jesus, we can live the gospel message with courage and hope. We can look ahead, not knowing exactly where the Lord is bringing us but knowing that through prayer and being united to Christ all things work together for good. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love God, who have been called according to God's purpose" (Romans 8:28).
To learn to trust without reservation is a great gift. Will we trust even though we can't see the outcome or where God is leading us? Can we go through the darkness, knowing Christ's light is shining to get us through and Christ is near to us. It's all about trust. I've learned that from the saints. They persevered even in the most difficult times, through pain, suffering and through the dark night of the soul. They kept trusting, persevering and believing that even though the present moment and time might not look promising, things will be OK. Patience is key. "Wait for the Lord with courage....."
There are all levels of trust. Sometimes we think in our humanness, that we have all the answers or that God certainly can't think of a better plan, since we haven't thought of it. Well, that isn't the case. If we continue to pray, to trust and persevere in all things, then God will guide us and help us each step of the way through life. Through prayer, we can learn to trust like the saints. And like the saints we can be confident that God is with us, leading us to a future full of promise and hope.
NJA