Devotion: Let go and let God
By Dianna Hobbs // Your Daily Cup of Inspiration
I was minding my own business, happily frying an egg, when my 15-year-old son, Kedar, popped into the kitchen with a smirk, peeked inside the small frying pan and began his cuisine review.
According to the executive chef with a culinary degree from Know-It-All Institute, he had just told his 13-year-old brother, Kaleb, “Mommy has the heat too high on the stove again, and that’s why we hear all the crackling noises.” He was so certain of his ears’ reliability, that he was shocked when his eyes told a different story. The temperature dial revealed that the egg was only on medium heat.
“Oh, wait!” he exclaimed, wide-eyed. “It’s not too high.”
The omelet-maker extraordinaire, whose omelet-making skills in the household are rivaled only by his father’s, loves teasing me for past egg-making offenses. I must confess, I have been guilty of numerous transgressions, owing more to my impatience than incompetence. Cooking is a strength of mine, but waiting isn’t, which is the key ingredient of a perfect omelet or sunny-side up egg.
Kedar put on his chef’s hat and lectured me, saying, “Too much heat cooks the bottom too fast, and when you flip it over, the yoke splatters everywhere.” I gave him my undivided attention as class was in session, nodding affirmatively, while secretly admiring how much he reminds me of my husband, Kenya, who is an excellent cook.
As amused as I was listening to Chef Boyar-K’s advice and watching him process the shock of being wrong about the heat level on the stove top, it was time to put honesty on the menu and serve up the truth. So I confessed to him that, “Actually, you were right all along. The stove was on high. I only turned down the heat seconds before you walked in.”
With that, Kedar’s smirk returned as he rushed to tell his little brother he had been correct, per usual. Meanwhile, I happily scarfed down my deliciously ugly egg. With more patience, it would have been well-pleasing to the eye and the palette. Oh well, maybe next time.
There is no denying that impatience is the enemy of excellence, or, as the more common adage goes: “Haste makes waste.” Being in too big a hurry isn’t ideal in egg-making, but it is downright destructive in our spiritual lives, because all good things take time. Furthermore, all God-ordained things take time and stillness.
In Psalm 46:10 NIV, the Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The entire 46th psalm is a perfect reference scripture for how to behave in times of chaos and tumult, amid intimidating circumstances. The appropriate response to such seasons is stillness. That word “still,” in verse 10, has a very specific and important meaning. It is translated from the Hebrew word “raphah,” to relax; let your hands drop; leave something alone; become helpless or weak; let go; surrender; or cease. In short, Psalm 46:10 can be interpreted, let go and let God!
“When you take your hands off the situation, God’s hand can freely move in your situation. That’s when you see amazing turnarounds happen. So, move out of the way. Let God do it. He has a good plan!”
However, letting go and being still, which is not a physical posture, but a spiritual one, is hard for lots of us to do, particularly when we are suffering from fix-it syndrome, a widespread epidemic. I have found myself infected more than a few times in my own life, and the word of God is the only antidote.
Remember when I broke my left wrist several years ago? It was difficult to adjust to the healing process. I didn’t want to rest. I just wanted to have the full use of my hand and arm again, and gain back a sense of normalcy. Having no control over the process frustrated me to the point of tears every day in the beginning. How long will I have to be still and wait? I wondered.
Daily Cup family, it was not until I changed my spiritual posture that God was able to replace my anxiety, stress, and disappointment with the kind of “peace that surpasses all understanding” referenced in Philippians 4:7. When I gave up control , surrendered, and trusted God to carry me through, I felt like a new woman spiritually and mentally, even though it took a while to heal up physically.
If you are going through something difficult, take it from me, one of the most empowering things you can do is let go and let God. That’s when He will reveal Himself as Jehovah Jireh, a provider; Jehovah Rapha, a healer; Jehovah Shalom, your peace; Adonai, Lord and Master of all. If you want Him to release His power, you have to release your control.
Whether you’re having family problems, health issues, employment struggles, financial challenges, dealing with other deeply personal situations, or trials, do what Psalm 37:7 says, and “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him.”
Let me reiterate, rest and wait.
Be still and know He is God, and He has power to work it out. You don’t have to try to fix it. In fact, you can’t. That’s why it’s good to know He has you covered. So, again, keep your hands out of the situation and keep them in the palm of His hands. After all, the Lord is with you and for you.
To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring Psalm 46:11a NIV into your cup of inspiration, which says, “The Lord Almighty is with us.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, lift your hands in surrender to our Almighty God. Extraordinary outcomes and untold blessings await those that release their cares to the Lord, and trust Him to release His power, provision, and favor.
Now let’s pray.
God, thank You for assuring me that as I rest in you, release control and trust You to work things out, that You will move mightily in my favor. Right now, I give up my plans and surrender all to You in full expectation that You will show Yourself strong on my behalf, and work things out for the best. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
