Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding
Proverbs 3:5 (HCSB)
A hard-working farmer took advantage of the shade of a walnut tree to rest for a few moments. As he relaxed, he looked at his pumpkin vines and said to himself, “How strange it is that God puts such big heavy pumpkins on a frail vine that has so little strength it has to trail on the ground!”
Then, looking up into the green branches of the tree above him, he added, “How strange it is that God puts small walnuts on such a big tree with branches so strong they can hold a man!”
A cool breeze swept by, shaking loose a walnut from the tree, which fell directly on the tired farmer’s head. The tired famer wondered no more as he rubbed his head. This time he said, “It’s a good thing there wasn’t a pumpkin up there instead of a walnut!”
Sometimes I’ve wondered why God does certain things the way He does. “Wouldn’t it be better if You did it this way, God?” I’ve thought more than a few times. Or perhaps it was His timing that was my problem: "Now would be a great time to intervene, Lord!" I might think.
As time passed, though, I recognized that God makes no mistakes. I may not be able to understand everything that happens in my life, or why God does things the way He does, but He never errs. His methods are always precise, and His timing is always accurate.
I’ve also begun to realize that I can trust Him, even if I don’t understand everything He does. Actually, this is the essence of faith. Faith is not just believing a certain set of ideas to be true; it is choosing to follow and obey God even if all the answers are not right in front of us. Proverbs 3:5 becomes more real to us when we truly rely on Him rather than on our own ability to completely understand everything He does.
I've never struggled with God's placement of pumpkins or walnuts, but I certainly have been bewildered about a few other things. I've discovered that if He knows what to do about the plant world, then He can figure out what is best for me, too. And I'll thank Him for not putting pumpkins in trees!
--Rocky Henriques, www.uticabc.com