Not on My Watch

I'm a punctual person. It's fun to be married to a guy whose pet-peeve is being on time. (Okay, so that's a little exaggerated, but being late does often seem to be his goal!)

Also, I'm a planner. And a worrier. Knowledge is important to me. So important to me, in fact, that sometimes it makes me that annoying conversationalist who will halt all dialogue just to be sure that all of the details thus far are perfectly correct. Some have referred to me as "exacting," and many others as a "know-it-all". Personally, it's my natural response to wonder why anyone would want anything to be imprecise or choose not to know something they could learn. That's how mistakes happen, chances are missed, and opportunities are lost.

Right? Wrong.

Not only are my husband, my friends, my plans, and my problems not precise, calculated instruments, but neither is my God.

So often I find that I expect God to run on my timetable, in the ways that I find make sense. I've found myself and others even acting as if it is the Christian responsibility to "keep watch" for God, making sure that every detail of every aspect of life is perfectly righteous and on target. 

It's as if we actually think that God needs us to be in control, or else our lives dishonor Him.

Isn't that such a sneaky lie? We honor and please our Lord by seeking Him and obeying Him, not by doing and acting perfectly. Part of such worshipful action is casting our cares on Him and trusting Him with our whole being. 

We can trust our Lord with timing, and to know what we don't know and feel like we should. We can trust that He will not put more in our lives than He can handle. We can trust that if we wholeheartedly seek Him, our desires will be in line with His. 

Even further- we can trust that when we sin anyway, He already knows. There's no sense in hiding shamefully, He is eager to forgive.

Praise the Lord that:

"His way is perfect:

The Lord’s word is flawless;

he shields all who take refuge in him.

For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength

and keeps my way secure." -Psalm 18:30-32