Trusting God

“Trust in the Lord . . . ” Proverbs 3:5a (NIV) As I sit here drinking my coffee, watching the spring snow falling lightly, and watching the Redpolls at the bird feeder, I’m reminded of the Scripture that my mom shared with me just before I left our community of Old Harbor, Alaska, and went away to boarding high school. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” is the part of Proverbs 3:5 that I remember, and that Scripture has come much more alive to me as I grow older. My late dad used to say to me, “No one is going to care for you but yourself.” That has helped carry me throughout my short 73 years. However, if I had learned earlier to trust my Heavenly Father, I would have known the joy that He has in caring for me, much as we take joy in watching the birds at the feeder. Trust has become a whole new concept for me. It puts me on a different plain—from the world of stress and self-reliance to putting trust in Someone who knows my life beginning to end, and finding there is peace and joy in that friendship! I’m learning to trust God better each day, and relaxing in the knowledge that He really knows what’s best for me. I’m putting my trust more each day in Jesus, who makes this all possible. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV). Lord, help us to trust You through the tough times, as well as the good—to know that You are the author of our lives, and care about every big or small thing that we come across. Thank You that we can put our trust in You. In Jesus’ name, let it be so. – Don Shugak Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org