Gò0dNews for Life
Trust in the Lord
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by Ellie James
ack in May, I graduated high school. It marked
beginning to realize it is a lot harder to not lean on my own
the end of my required schooling, the end of my
understanding and my own plans than I thought when I
carefree non-adult life, and the end of my childhood.
was little.
However, it was also the beginning of a new feeling of
This world is consumed with sin, and being a young
optimism and anticipation in my life as I prepare for college
person with Christian morals and a Biblical ideology
and my career.
is not easy or very popular in this day and age. We get ridiculed and belittled for any reason, yet we are still lucky to live in American where at least we are not killed for our faith. A lot of times, the devil uses this sense of unbelonging to tempt us into sin—simply to fit in. That sin does not always have to be an action, but even by believing the lies this world tries to present as “truth,” we are against our Lord. It can be hard to see and to trust the Lord’s plans in these times, but we have to remember that His plan for us is not to fit in. We are to be a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9), the salt of the Earth (Matthew 5:13), and are called to “…not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds…” (Romans 12:2).
Upon graduating, I was given many helpful pieces of
There are many more verses that say similar things—
advice for the future from family members, friends, and
basically, we are not people who belong to this world. God’s
even on occasion, total strangers. Most of the advice was
ultimate plan is for us to bring glory to Him and to grow
similar—how to be financially stable, suggestions on things
His kingdom. Ultimately, that is all that matters in life. “So,
I should start doing now to prepare for my future more
we do not focus on what is seen, but what is unseen. For
seriously, and the most importantly, to trust the Lord’s
what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2
plans for my life and to always follow Him and His will.
Corinthians 4:18).
Having gone to church my entire life, this was not the
Even though it is hard, we have to trust that His plan for
first time I had heard this. In fact, Proverbs 3:5-6—“Trust
our life is best. This does not mean that our life will be full
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
of blessings and abundance, but when we trust in the Lord,
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He
we can have joy even in times of trouble. As Paul told us in
will make your paths straight”—and Jeremiah 29:11—“For
Philippians 4:10-13, no matter what comes our way, we can do
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to
(or “endure”) all things through Christ who gives us strength.
are some of the first verses I can recall memorizing as a kid. Somehow, these verses brought on a new meaning as I began to think about becoming an adult now. I am
22 // August 2021
About The Author
prosper and not harm you, plans for a future and a hope”— Ellie James is an upcoming college freshman at Lee University. Ellie is planning on studying Special Education and becoming an Elementary Special Ed teacher one day. Ellie loves to write and to sing praises to the Lord at her church, Parkway Baptist.
