All summer I had been looking for an out. In every conversation I had, in every conversation my husband had, I was looking for something, even the tiniest thing, that I could say was God telling me this was my way out of a situation I found myself in. I felt unsettled, I was easily frustrated and questioned God’s purpose for my family and me. Then one day as I was driving in my car, I heard the gentle whisper of Jesus, telling me to stop looking for a way out; to surrender my desires to his plans. 

This was my wake up call and the next morning, I spent some time with Jesus surrendering my desires and wishes to Him and trusting in his plan for me, for deep down, I do believe they are much better than my own. 

You see, in Isaiah 55, God tells the people of Israel and Judah through the prophet Isaiah, that his ways are better than their ways and his plans are better than their plans. The people of God had long lived in a cycle of worshipping God and relying on him for their needs, to rejecting God and relying on themselves or other gods to satisfy them thinking they could do a better a better job than God.  Newsflash, they couldn’t. These words are written in a passage where, proceeding these verses, God invites his people to go to him for rest and hope. The Lord invites them to say sorry for going their own way and offers mercy and forgiveness before reassuring his people that he does know best. 

This message doesn’t just apply to the people Isaiah was talking to at the time; it applies to God’s people today – You and I. 

When we surrender our desires and plans to the Lord and trust that his ways truly are better than ours, we can have joy and peace in our situations. Rather than being easily frustrated, we can handle hardships rationally. I certainly found this to be true once I’d surrendered my desires to leave the situation I found myself in. Once I’d surrendered all to Jesus, I felt peace about where I was/am and noticed I no longer looked for an out. I’ll admit I don’t always understand why God has placed me where I am but that’s ok. Romans 11:33 says that it’s impossible to understand his decisions and his ways but I choose to trust in the words written in Isaiah 55 and I put my hope in them. 

Maybe you find yourself in a place you’d rather not be in or God has asked you to do something way out of your comfort zone or doesn’t seem to fit with family life or where you are right now. Take comfort in knowing that his ways and plans are higher and better than on our own. Spend some moments surrendering your desires and plans and ask God to realign them with his. Then I pray, you find comfort and peace and joy. 

‘I surrender all.
Lord, you were there before the beginning of time; 
You will be there at the end of time.
You are the beginning and the end;
The Alpha and the Omega.
To you, I surrender all.
When my mind is going every which way direction;
When I’m looking for a way out,
I surrender all.
Your plan for my life is way better than my own and in you I trust.
I surrender all.
You fill me with peace as I trust in your plan;
Peace in the chaos;
Peace in the calm;
Peace in the busyness;
Peace in stillness.
To you, I surrender all.
I surrender all.
Lord, you were there before the beginning of time;
You will be there at the end of time.
You are the beginning and the end;
The Alpha and the Omega.
To you, I surrender all.’

‘“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”’
-Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

‘Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!’
-Romans 11:33 NLT 

‘I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.’
– Psalm 130:5 NIV