A Question of Trust

     While Rose and I were out driving Sunday we saw several apple trees in a yard with apples all over the ground.  I stopped and asked the owner if we could pick up some of the apples on the ground.  He agreed and we got three large bags full.  Today we have been cutting and peeling and cooking apples in order to make apple sauce.   Friday we got some tomatoes from a friend's garden and will be canning them also.  I dug out Rose's old 40 year old Presto pressure canner and have replaced the old parts that needed replacing.  I told Rose maybe we don't have to worry so much about our garden.  We will just glean where the Lord leads us.  I really think He is trying to teach us not to try and depend on ourselves and the plans we make so much.  Learn to see His providence.  Jesus says our Heavenly Father knows just what we need and He longs to provide if we will let Him. 
     We know how much joy we get when we give gifts to our children.  Just think of the joy our Father gets when He is able to give us what He wants too.  We often frustrate His plans and do not allow Him to work because we try to make things go the way we think they should.  There is a real danger now as we get closer to the end of time.  The great lesson we must learn, and the main thing God is trying to teach us, is "Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Do not lean on your understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).   
     We see things falling apart, and we think we need to make plans to "protect ourselves".  This can be in stocking up on supplies we think we will need, buying precious metals, stocking up on weapons, preparing to defend ourselves by various methods, or other ways. God wants us to do just the opposite.  We are to learn to depend on Him more and more.  "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" (Exodus 14:13).  We rob God of His glory way too often because we do not wait and trust in His loving care for us.  He longs to reveal Himself in many ways, but we often step in and stop His plans by substituting our own. 
     We are not safe anywhere these days.  The son of the lady who lives behind us murdered here a few years ago, and later her house was broken into.  A drugged out man tried to break into the house of the man who lives next to us one night while I was away and Rose was here alone.  And just a few nights ago a neighbor two doors from us, a 92 year old man, was beaten when someone broke into his house and stole his rifles and money.  Psalm 34:7 says: "The angel of the LORD camps round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."  We didn't know anything till the news people stopped by and asked us about it. 
     But suppose the Lord decides to let something happen to us?  Should I have a gun ready to defend myself?  The real question is:  Will I let the Lord of the universe, the One who controls all things, have His way, or will I take matters into my own hands and rob Him of His glory?  It Is Written: "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." (Psalm 76:10)  This means that whatever will not bring glory to God He stops from happening.  He only allows what will ultimately bring His plans to fruition.  We do not know the end from the beginning.  We cannot see the big picture.  We are so self centered we only care about self.  God sees how all the various threads fit together into a big beautiful picture that will bring praise and honor to His name by bringing an end to sin.  Let us learn to submit ourselves to His wise and loving plans in everything.  Let us determine that we will be in such complete submission to God that we can say with Jesus and Job: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." (Job 13:15)