Can I tell you something about myself? I can pray, “Lord, I trust You!” and then spend the next three hours trying to figure out how He's going to answer me.
I'll hand something over to the Lord, tell Him I know He's got it, and then pick it right back up before I've even finished my morning coffee. I mean…. I gave it to Him, but SURELY He needs a little help figuring out the details from a really detail-oriented girl, right?
Apparently, I'm not the only one who struggles with this. I read something online this past week that made me dive into Exodus 8, and in doing so I came across a little detail I haven’t ever noticed before, that made me stop in my tracks. Remember all the plagues that God sent to bother Pharoah to the point he eventually granted freedom for all of the Israelite people in Egypt? Well… one of them was a plague of frogs… and when I say frogs, I don’t mean a cute little Kermit…..no, I mean nasty, wart-covered, discusting FROGS. According to Exodus 8 they were in the houses, the bedrooms, the beds, the ovens, and even the kneading bowls. Can you even imagine? I'm not a fan of surprises in my kitchen, and I certainly don't want one hopping out of my oven when I open it to pull out dinner!
Finally, Pharaoh had enough. He called for Moses and Aaron and asked them to pray to the Lord to get rid of the frogs, but pay attention to what happens next. (This is the part that I don’t think I’ve ever noticed before.) Moses asked Pharaoh when he wanted the frogs removed, (which I think is a really funny question, because I feel that question should be obvious) and Pharaoh shockingly answered, “Tomorrow.” (Exodus 8:10) I'M SORRY. WHAT?!
Tomorrow?!? Pharaoh, there are frogs in your bed! What on earth are we waiting for? I mean…if there were frogs in my house (even just one frog in my house) and somebody offered to get rid of them, I wouldn't ask them to pencil me in for the following day. I'd say, “Get it out NOW!!!!”
The Bible doesn't tell us exactly why Pharaoh chose tomorrow, but I can't get past the ridiculousness of it. Here was a man who couldn't control a single frog, and yet he was still trying to control the timing of their departure. WHY on earth would he want to wait?!?!
Here’s what I think... Pharaoh was desperate enough to ask Moses to pray to God for help, but he hadn't surrendered his need to be in charge. He wanted the frogs gone, but he still wanted to dictate when it happened. He needed God's intervention, but in his heart, he really wasn't ready to bow to God's ultimate authority.
And isn't that where the struggle gets real for all of us?
Often times I want God to step into my mess, but I want Him to do it on my terms. I want His power without what often feels like the inconvenience of my own surrender. I want Him to change my circumstances while leaving my plans, my preferences, and my need to be in control completely intact.
I mean…. I might never say it out loud, but if I’m being honest with you, my prayers often reveal it.
“Lord, I need You to work in my marriage, but please don't ask me to be the one who apologizes first.”
“Lord, I'm trusting You with my future, but I'd really like You to show me the whole plan before I take the next step.”
“Lord, I surrender this situation to You…and by surrender, I mean I'm going to keep thinking about it, worrying about it, and trying to make it happen until You do it my way.”
Anyone else?
As I keep reading, Pharaoh's story become incredibly sobering to me as I see my own heart in his, because scripture says that when the frogs were gone, Pharoah hardened his heart again (Exodus 8:15). Just think about that. The relief came, but the Pharoah’s willingness to surrender, didn’t. Pharaoh wanted God to change his circumstances but was unwilling to allow God to challenge his control.
Yikes! That hits a little too close to home for me.
In my own life, sometimes the thing I want most from God is relief…. but what I need just as much is a heart willing to trust Him. I want God to remove the pressure I’m feeling, but I’m not always willing to release my grip and surrender it to the one I know can handle it. I want the answer, but I still want the final say.
Now, please hear my heart. I’m not saying it's wrong to ask God to change your circumstances. All throughout scripture God makes it crystal clear that He wants us to bring Him our requests! So, if you're praying for healing, provision, restoration, or direction… keep praying. Don't stop asking! He’s listening and wants to hear from you.
But, what if our prayers started sounding something like this, instead? “Lord, I really want You to change this situation. I'm asking You to move, and I'm trusting You to hear me…. but if Your answer looks different from what I've planned, help me to trust You anyway. As hard as it is to say, Lord, don't just change what's happening around me. Change what's happening in me.”
We don't have to pretend we're not scared, and we don't have to stop asking Him to move, but we can ask for His help without insisting our ways match His. We can pray for that door to open and still trust Him if it stays closed. We can ask Him to change our situation and remain willing for Him to change us, too.
Surrender isn't getting God to agree with our plan. It's trusting Him enough to let go of our ability to control the outcome.
That can be hard sometimes, can't it? Especially when we're waiting on an answer, watching someone we love struggle, or facing a situation we would fix if we could. We just want to know how it's going to work out, and we want to know when it's going to work out, and for me, if I’m being completely honest, I'd love to approve the plan BEFORE God puts it into action.
Here’s the truth I’m swallowing today: God doesn't need me to figure everything out for Him. He just wants me to trust Him and to believe my own words when I say He is forever faithful.
So what's the frog you're trying so hard to control right now? Maybe it's a relationship, a decision, a financial concern, or something involving one of your kids. Maybe you've prayed about it a hundred times, asking God to remove that burden from your heart, but you still find yourself worrying, strategizing, and trying to figure out how to make the outcome you want, happen.
This morning, I want to challenge you to bring it to the Lord again. Pray big prayers. Ask Him to move. Ask Him to help. Ask Him for wisdom…. and then, here's the really hard part… open your hands and let Him do what He’s going to do.
You don't have to stop caring. You don't have to stop praying. You don't even have to stop hoping for the outcome you desire. You just have to stop acting as though everything depends on your ability to make it happen.
Pharaoh couldn't control the frogs, and we can’t control every outcome, every person, or every tomorrow. We can, however, choose whether we keep white-knuckling our way through life or instead open our hands to the God who holds it all.
So friends, let’s pray boldly. Let’s ask honestly. Let’s bring Him the frogs, the fears, and the things that are keeping us up at night. Let’s just not become so focused on telling Him how to move that we miss the invitation to trust Him.
After all….. He's much better at being God than we are. So, let’s give Him back that job, starting today.