When we find ourselves in a bad situation and need help from an outside source, finding someone we can trust is a top priority. Life gives us ample opportunity to exercise our decision-making skills, and sometimes we make a wrong choice that puts us at risk of harm. Many of us can remember making bad calls because we ignored what God was telling us to do, insisted on doing things our own way,  and regretted it later. Our own fears can cause us to resist God, but trusting in what he’s doing in our lives positions us to benefit from his promise of protection.

God not only protects us from the evil we see around us, but he also protects us from ourselves. We’re imperfect beings, and we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to making wise choices. Humans can be amazingly short-sighted. Fortunately, God is ready to intervene in the lives of those willing to trust him. “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

The key word here is “trust.” We’ve become accustomed to trying to find our own solutions and being self-sufficient, and it feels strange to rely on someone else. But there will always be situations that are too much for us to handle alone. It’s discouraging to stare at trouble and not know how to tackle it, but we can always depend on God. “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee” (Psalm 5:11).

From where he sits, God’s perspective on our lives is much different than ours. When we think we know where our lives are going, letting him shed illumination on the issue is always wise. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For 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). We can believe we’ve made a perfect decision, but there’s always a margin of error. God simply doesn’t make mistakes, and his assessment of the situation is always perfect.  

The message we get from the world is that we must control our own destinies. That sounds dramatic and exciting, but the reality is that we have a limited understanding of the concept. We think we know exactly what we want to do, but sometimes our decision-making is flawed. “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Proverbs 14:12, NLT). When we take a wrong turn on the path of life, God is ready to point out the right direction.

We’ll always be susceptible to making the occasional bad decision, and God knows that. He pledges never to abandon us, even when we do things that could backfire on us. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). The times when we’re at our weakest and most confused are the times when we can most feel his strong presence.