Letting Go

When our kids were young, my husband and I performed the ritual of teaching them how to ride a bike. This requires one to run along side, holding on to the seat while our child bravely steers the bike. We always started off on the grass so that if we fell, the landing would be softer than cement. After a while, our kids would build up the courage and yell, “let go.” Hesitantly, we did and as we watched them ride away, we also witnessed many falls. But each time, they got up and wanted to try again.
I’ve learned throughout the years, that letting go is often the first step in placing our trust in God, yet it's very difficult to do. Our nature is to hold on to everything we have, providing us a false sense of security. How many times have we held on to jobs, people, and things only to see them taken from our lives? And yet how often do the things we hold on to hinder our trust in God?
Many of us have read or at least heard about Moses, God’s appointed servant to lead His people out of Egypt and into the promise land. But what many may not know is it wasn’t Moses who actually led the people of Israel into the promise land. The man that completed this task was Joshua.
In the Old Testament, the first chapter of Joshua begins reminding the reader that Moses is dead.

“After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites.”
(Joshua 1:1-2)

I always thought God’s words were somewhat abrupt to Joshua. Moses, the great leader was dead. Can you imagine the disappointment and fear the people must have felt knowing their leader was no longer with them? However, God’s advice isn’t always about painting a flowery picture. Moses was the past and God needed Joshua for the future. It’s not to say that Moses wouldn’t be remembered, but it was time to let Moses go and realize the One leading this venture was God. This was God’s doing, and His plan always prevails despite the downfalls of man that occur along the way.
How do we know what God’s plan is for our lives? I believe 99.9% of the time we are exactly where God needs us to be. The challenge we face is letting go of the things that hinder our trust and faith in Him. However, once we let go of the world, we find ourselves holding onto Him and it’s amazing to see His plan unfold for our lives.

Are you in a job that causes you to compromise your integrity, but fear the job market is so bad, you won’t find anything else?

Are their people in your life that discourage you from doing God’s work, but you don’t want to lose the friendship?

Are you holding on to a grudge against someone in your past and you can’t let it go?

If you want to know the plans God has for you, it begins by letting go of the things that come between you and faith. When Jesus walked on this earth, He didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword to cut out anything that comes between us and His love. Pray today for the Holy Spirit to provide discernment and the courage to let go of anything hindering our faith. Although we may have falls along the way, God will be at our side, holding our hand and steering us into a promising future.