Do you trust God “with strings attached”?

I’ve been studying the book of Ruth through Kelly Minter’s Bible study, and in the introduction of week four, Kelly beautifully stated the fact that Ruth took some steps of faith where positive results weren’t guaranteed. Ruth trusted “with no strings attached.” When I read that, my heart was pierced with conviction. I immediately grabbed my computer and began to pound it out with the Lord. {That’s what I call typing in order to process! I promise, no punches were exchanged… just words. Haha}

This was the conviction that the Holy Spirit laid on my heart: Though I’ve finally mostly-learned to step forward in blind trust in the Lord, I’m doing it with strings attached.

By that, I mean that I’m willing to go out on a limb with the Lord… even to the point of looking foolish to others. BUT, without realizing it, instead of the simple expectation that God will be found faithful and good, I’ve added specific caveats as to what His faithfulness and goodness will look like. Make sense?

Do you do this, too?

I’ll own up to the fact that I’ve done this with big things… like I don’t know how many times I’ve reminded the Lord that we fought the big, bad, ACLU on His behalf, and surely that’s worth _______. Man! I’m such a spoiled brat! But I’ve repented of doing that to the Lord (who is obviously the one who fought the real battle – we were just the skinned instruments) and haven’t said that to Him in quite some time, thankyouverymuch.

What I didn’t realize is that I was also doing this in my tiny steps of obedience and faith. Well… maybe I did realize it, but I didn’t want to own up to it. ☹

Faith “with strings attached” looks and sounds something like this:

“Yes, Lord. I will gladly (or willingly, or humbly, or gratefully, or ‘in faith’) __________. So I thank you in advance that you will _________ {insert whatever it is that you are desiring}.”

Smooth operator. Just the sliding in of what I’m wanting, with an innocent look on my face and tone in my voice… WHO DID I THINK I WAS FOOLING????? Certainly not God, the All Knowing, All Present, All Powerful Ruler of this age and ages to come!

It’s like realizing that your parents knew all along that you were lying, but let you take it as far as you did, just to see how far you would go, and to teach you the lesson that they knew the truth all along. Yep.

So here’s what I’m sensing the Lord wanting me to do about my “strings-attached-faith” – Stop it! Stop it right now! Cut the strings and untie God from my detailed expectations of His specific blessings just because I’m being a good girl and doing what I’m supposed to do.

Instead, I am to walk forward in faith like Ruth did. To Obey and Trust in the faithfulness and goodness of God, though the immediate outcome is not guaranteed to be to my liking. I kind of think that God might want you to do this too???

When we do learn to trust God “with no strings attached,” this is some of what we CAN use to tie ourselves to God:

Ephesians 3:20:  God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (MSG)

Isaiah 55:8-9:  “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (NLT)

We can be specific about the general truth that whatever it is that God does or doesn’t do, has or has not allowed, did or didn’t’ prevent… whatever it is, even if it is not presently to our liking… if we are truly trusting Him, we can take the next step He’s given us with the simple assurance that God will always be found faithful and good. No matter what it seems like at the moment.

So we obey and trust. Not to try to manipulate our Creator, but simply because we know He’s got our backs, He is good, He is faithful, and His plans are way better than any caveat string we could temporarily tie Him to.

I’m praying for you today, my friends~ Obedience and Trust, with no strings attached, except those of child-like faith and love toward the Father who loves us so.