The Outcome

 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. – Daniel 3:17-18

This year started off with a bang. My husband and I were sick from Christmas until a week after New Years. My mother was admitted to the hospital for chest pains the day after New Years and on the same day we received word that my brother’s mother-in-law had passed away from a massive aneurysm. A few days later I witnessed a dear friend struggling with addiction while another friend’s son was being admitted to rehab.

My heart just broke and I cried out to God not even knowing what to pray. I know what I would like to have to happen and I can clearly picture those outcomes in my mind. But I’m quickly learning that the free will of those I pray for, and God’s ultimate will often don’t align with mine.

In His loving kindness, God lead me to an answer that brought peace to my tearful early morning prayer time. God doesn’t want us to trust in an outcome; He wants us to trust in Him. I’ve been placing my trust in the wrong place and praying for the things that I think ought to happen. He wants me to trust Him knowing with assurance that He will take care of the outcome.

I’ve learned over the years that His answers can take place in many different ways. Sometimes He prevents the trial or sufferring from happening. Other times He walks us through it. And sometimes He delivers us home to be with Him.

Psalm 84:12 reads, “Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.” When I trust in Him like the three Hewbrews did in today’s passage, and I use my suffering to press into God, my confidence becomes rooted in Him instead of my expected outcome and I gain freedom from things like anxiety, insecurity and fear.

I gained peace that night when I trusted God for His will in each and every prayer request that was on my heart. I was reminded that He loves each one of them even more than I do. And I was reminded that the outcome is firming in the loving hands of my Savior. Blessed is she who trusts in the Lord.