Bailing on God (Guest post by Mary Southerland)

On Friday, I introduced you to the book Trusting God. Today is release day for that book, and my friend, Mary Southerland, has been gracious enough to let me share one of her devotionals from the book with you. As we enter the home stretch of the Christmas season, we can't truly appreciate all that God offers us in the gift of Jesus unless we trust Him. Surrendering and trusting that God will catch us when we fall, allows us to fully participate in all that a relationship with Him has to offer. Find out what it mains to "bail" on God, and check out the rest of the book here.

Today’s Truth

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart” (Proverbs 3:5, The Message)

 Friend to Friend

I absolutely love being a grandmother and wholeheartedly agree with the familiar adage, “If I had known grandchildren were so wonderful, I would have had them first!” Our fifteen-month-old granddaughter, Lelia Kay, sparkles with joy and has an infectious laugh that instantly captures your heart and compels you to laugh along with her. Consequently, our son, Jered, is always looking for ways to make her laugh. On a recent visit, he proudly demonstrated one of the new “tricks” he had taught Lelia. I was horrified!

Jered came home from work, scooped up his squealing daughter in his arms and grabbed her in a big hug. Lelia wrapped her little arms around her daddy’s neck and then firmly planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. Tears filled my eyes when I heard Jered whisper, “I love you, Lelia.” It was definitely a Kodak moment that left me totally unprepared for the moment that followed.

Lelia giggled, grabbed her daddy’s shirt with both hands and looked up at Jered, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. I instantly recognized that sparkle and mentally added it to the list of things she had inherited from her daddy. Jered looked over at me and said, “Watch, Mom!” He tightened his hold on his daughter’s chubby little legs, and said, “Bail, Lelia!” Surely, I had heard him wrong. Nope! My precious grandbaby immediately fell backwards through the air, arms and hands dangling loosely over her head, swinging her little body through her daddy’s firmly planted legs, laughing hysterically. My stomach fell and my mouth flew open as I watched her repeat this terrifying toddler version of bungee jumping. Not once did Lelia seem to be afraid. As far as I could tell, there was not the slightest hesitation on her part. I did not see an ounce of caution as she totally abandoned herself to the security of her father’s arms – creating a beautiful and profound illustration of childlike faith.  

That picture of faith took on a whole new meaning as we replayed it over dinner. Jered said, “I have to be careful. Lelia will sometimes bail on me when I’m not expecting it.” (Yes, that statement did increase my prayer life.) I looked at my son and like so many times over the years, marveled at his strength, thinking of the countless hours he has spent lifting weights, playing football and now building and remodeling homes. Jered’s massive arms and shoulders are a testimony of discipline and power. No wonder Lelia feels safe and secure in those arms. 

I decided then and there that I want to be like Lelia. I want my faith in God to grow to the place where I can bail on God and totally abandon myself to my Father’s safe, strong arms, secure in the knowledge that He will catch me when I fall. I want to obey God without fear, trusting Him to be all I need. I want to depend on and experience God’s power and strength as I plunge into His plan for my life, knowing that He is aware of every step I take, that He monitors every breath I breathe and sees every tear I cry.

It can be scary to trust God if we insist on fully understanding the step of faith He is asking us to take. Proverbs 3:5 assures us that we really can trust God from the bottom of our heart - with every part of our entire life. We tend to focus on what we can see and explain instead of choosing to focus on God and His promises. We need to grow and mature in Christ but we also need to remain childlike in our faith.

Jered has never dropped Lelia. It probably has not even occurred to her that her father could or would drop her. Lelia’s trust in her daddy is complete and whole. And I can assure you Jered delights in that trust and will do everything he can to protect it. God is like that. He celebrates even our tiniest step of faith and rejoices when we abandon our self to Him. How about you? Are you ready to bail into the arms of God?

Let’s Pray

Father, I thank You for the strength and power of Your love. I praise You for Your faithfulness in my life. I long to believe You wholly and want to walk in a radical obedience to Your truth. Help me to choose faith over fear and trust over doubt. Teach me to rest in Your arms and trust Your heart, even when I don’t understand Your process. I choose to place my faith in You.   

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Now it’s Your Turn

Read Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”  In your own words, describe the “chariots” and “horses” in your life. Where do you place your trust? In whom or what do you trust? Are you satisfied with the results?

The New Century Version of the Bible translates today’s key verse in Proverbs 3:5 as “Trust the Lord with all your heart and don’t depend on your own understanding.”  What part does human understanding play in the process of strengthening our faith in God?  What does the word “all” mean to you when it comes to obedience to God? 

Friday Introductions: Trusting God

"Why can't we see God?' my 8-year-old asked.

"Because that's not how God chooses to communicate with us," I said.

"Why not? He could do it," she said.

"You're right, he could. But it doesn't take any faith to trust in what you can see. God wants us to have faith in Him," I said.

When my daughter asked this question the other day, I was reminded of how often we all struggle with trusting God. We trust in things we can't see every day. I don't know how my car's engine works, but I trust that it will start when I turn the key. I can't see the inner workings of my microwave, but when I push start, I trust that it will warm up my food.

Yet when it comes to God, we're often like a child who is scared of going off the diving board. We run up to the edge, look down and run back to safety. God challenges us to step off that diving board, not knowing what's underneath. He promises to catch us, but because we can't see Him, we waver. We think about it. We make lists of the pros and cons of doing what He asks. Instead of jumping, we find reasons not to jump.

God wants us to follow after Him with our whole hearts. Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." God wants us to to trust Him -- even though we can't see Him and don't always know where He's taking us.

If you struggle with trusting God, you definitely want to get a copy of today's Friday Introduction. Trusting God is a 12-week devotional study. Written by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith and Mary Southerland, Trusting God will walk you through what trusting God looks like and how to let go and simply trust Him. Sharing intimate snapshots of their lives as they go Sharon, Gwen and Mary -- you might know them from the Girlfriends in God daily devotional -- take you on a journey of trust.

The book is set up to be used individually or in a group. Each section ends with a Bible study guide and space for journaling to help you get the most out of the book.

During this season where we celebrate Jesus' birth, take a step toward enjoying all the benefits that a relationship with God brings. When we truly trust God, it opens up a world of possibilities for us and our families. Learning to trust God yourself will help you to teach your children what it really means to jump off the end of that diving board, knowing that God will catch you.