Faith Built on God's Understanding

I’m not sure if we would say this but it seems like we often translate faith in God as the expectation that He will come through for us exactly how we desire and ask Him to. We read stories like Abraham and Isaac, Daniel in the lion’s den, or the 3 boys and the fiery furnace and relate faith to the outcome of God coming through in a significant way exactly how we would desire and expect Him to. But we tend to gloss over the fact that faith began and ended with confidence that no matter what happens this is how I choose to live. This is seen clearly in the “even if” statement found in Daniel 3:18 “But even if He does not… we will not serve your gods”. Proverbs 3:5 says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. When we pray, are we casting our understanding onto God and telling Him how He should deal with the situation? Or are we seeking to understand His will and declaring that no matter how He intervenes we will honor and glorify Him with the outcome. Get rid of your expectations; they lead us away from Gospel-centered faith and away from God-honoring faith. Instead open your heart to new, Holy Spirit inspired understanding, and be ready in all circumstances, with praise on your lips, to honor God for His infinite wisdom and goodness.
​

---