Why am I here? Is this a question you’ve ever asked yourself? As a follower of Christ, we know the answer is “to bring God glory.” That is a correct answer, but there are times when we may be wondering how in the world that is happening! No one wants to admit to having doubtful questions. I get that. I certainly don’t want to admit that I’ve ever asked, “Why am I here?” . . .  but I have. In this season of my life, I’ve asked that question many times. Today, God opened my eyes to see a few words in Psalm 31 that have given me great help for my concerns. I would like to share them with you. May these words help you today as they have helped me.

“But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand.” [Psalm 31:14-15a.]

Can I really trust God with my reason for being here? I need to look back. He has never failed me. The life I’ve lived has had His sovereign hand all over it. He put me in a Christian home. The Lord saved me at a young age. There were many opportunities I had along the way to teach children the Word of God. He raised me up to serve Him without a biblical college education. The grace He has shown me in the biblical counseling arena is beyond all I could have imagined! The idea that He has used me to teach and train women is unbelievable to me! The past has been about His reason for my life. It has been a great blessing to me. Can I trust Him? Yes, without a doubt.

The Lord is my God! What a statement to wrap my mind around! He is greater than anything else I’ll ever know about. My God is my Creator! He made me for His purposes. If He is my God, then I know that even my doubts can be addressed by Him. The Lord doesn’t take a vacation or ever leave me on my own. As a follower of Christ, I’m assured that He is always with me. He doesn’t lie or pretend. He is good. I need to rehearse the Lord’s character. My memory needs to go back to all that He is! When I do that, I have more confidence in my everyday life, not in myself, but in Him. I need to guard my heart from idols. There is one God, and He is mine. Can I rest in Him? Yes, without a doubt.

The last phrase of these verses is a tough one because it requires me to yield myself to God. His hand holds my times, every moment of every day. If I can trust Him, knowing that He is my God, then I can more easily let Him lead in my life. The problem is the “I have to know” syndrome. I suffer from it, do you? I want to know what’s going to happen next. I want to plan toward that next. The truth is the next can change in an instant. Can I ever really be ready for the next? It is God who will see me through the next step of this life. I need to be content that He holds my times in His hand. I don’t have to know what’s next because He does. My hands need to be opened to whatever He brings into my life. This is very hard to do. However, He gives the grace to do it. His grace gives me the power to yield to Him. His grace will give me peace and comfort in my time as I wait for His next move. Can I yield? I think I better. It is when I yield myself to Him that I experience growth in Him.

My place in the Father’s hand is secure because of the sacrifice of Jesus. I need to rest in that marvelous truth.  “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” [John 10:29.]