Last week, I spent time in the mountains in Virginia. While there, I observed the changing of the leaves, and needless to say, it was breathtaking. Even better than the visual beauty of the leaves was the insight God shared with me. The vivid colors I observed were part of the leaves’ dying process. None of the leaves fought to remain green; rather, they yielded to God’s plan. Nature teaches us that when we yield to His will, God will make us beautiful.
Jesus is the greatest example of how God can make us beautiful when we yield to His will. In Gethsemane, Jesus’ tough place, He said, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39, NLT). Though He had reason to contend with God, for He had not sinned, He didn’t. He resigned to God’s plan, and chose the cross. Because He yielded to God’s will, God exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name (see Philippians 2:9-10).
If you’re caught in a rip current, experts encourage you not to swim against the current. Likewise, when you’re in a tough place, don’t fight against God’s plan. Yield to His will, just like the leaves and Jesus. When you yield to God’s plan, He’ll make you into the person He wants you to be!
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever – 2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT