Tag: Trusting God

Ever Wondered What God Is Up To?

Have you ever gone through those times where you wondered what God is up to? Those times where you wished you had more information about how God is working in your life. He does reveal things to us, but only in His timing. Of course waiting on His timing is the hard part, because our human nature wants to know the how’s, when’s, where’s, and why’s.

Plus we live in a world that tries to convince us, that we need to know every single thing, about every single thing. If that were the case, we wouldn’t need God. I know I definitely would do a lousy job at being the god of my life. What about you? I already tried that before. It seemed easy at the time. I just simply ignored God’s commands and did exactly what I wanted. Believe me when I say, that has never turned out good. Sins consequences can be devastating, but I’m so thankful for His forgiveness and mercy!

I have been through many different seasons of life, some felt more relaxed, while during other seasons I felt more anxious. Right now, I am actually in a season where I am praying and asking God for direction in certain areas. I’m trying not to worry. Can you relate? Perhaps you too need God to move in a particular area of your life.

When we need answers the Bible tells us to pray and not be anxious (Philippians 4:6). There are times when I go to God in prayer and I feel very anxious, stressed, confused and even fearful about whatever I’m going through. I have to ask God to remove the anxiousness, stress, confusion and fear from my heart. He’s faithful to do that, but when I feel those negative feelings trying to return, I have to keep giving it to Him in prayer. I have to ask Him to help me to understand in my heart, that He will work all things together for my good (Romans 8:28). The more we see His faithful track record, the better we become at being faithful in our ability to trust Him.

Can you imagine the majesty of our God? It’s really mind blowing! He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He was and is and is to come (Revelation 1:8). This is the God that we are entrusting ourselves to, when we have given our lives to Jesus Christ. We won’t always understand how He is working, but the truth is, we don’t necessarily need to understand everything (Proverbs 3:5). He knows exactly how much we need to know. That’s where we find our rest, in knowing that He will always do what’s best for us.

As we wait, we need to just keep doing the things we already know He wants us to do. We need to rejoice, be thankful, and stay prayerful, because this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Also stay watchful. Constantly watch for God’s direction, because He does hear the cries of His children and He answers (Psalm 34:6).

I just want to encourage you if you’re in a season of waiting on God for answers. Just keep pouring your heart out to Him because He will bring you peace. Another thing I really love is when I get that wonderful feeling of anticipation inside that assures me He’s up to something good. Remember, although you can’t see the good just yet, it’s sure to come. Why? Because we serve a Risen Savior! Keep moving forward in Christ!

Green, the color of life and growth!

No Need to Worry

It’s easy to become anxious because there is so much going on to be anxious about. Even on days where we may feel we have it all together, an unexpected news update showing the latest tragedy can ignite fear within our hearts. When things happen that are beyond our control, it can cause us to feel worried and insecure.

God tells us not to worry…

Matthew 6:34(NIV), “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I know it’s easy to feel comfortable when things are going smoothly and according to our plans. When we have an “abundant supply”, we feel more in control. Rather it’s an abundance of clothes, food, money, friends, “likes” on social media (Lol), good health, or whatever it is that seems to bring us comfort and a sense of control. It’s good when we have these things, however it’s not good when we allow them to replace God’s security in our lives. The things we have can be here today and gone tomorrow. Life can change so quickly.

God wants us to look to Him for our every need…

Matthew 6:28-32(NIV), “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

I just want to remind you that you are rare and valuable in God’s eyes. Your value is not rooted in how many possessions you have or how many achievements you have made. You’re valuable because you are created in the image of God and He loves you. You are unique because there is only one you.

God wants us to find our true value in Him…

Matthew 6:26(NIV), “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

There is No Need to Worry because God has promised to take care of you.

Beautiful rainbow at my job, 3-29-19

A “Last Look” at Psalm 37 (verses 37-40)

Psalm 37:37-40 (NIV), “37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. 38 But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked 38 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”

Thank you for reading with me through Psalm 37!!

Well, we’ve reached the end of our journey through Psalm 37!!! Do you feel inspired by God’s constant reminders that He will take good care of His children? I hope so! I also hope you have been encouraged to keep on living for Jesus and choosing to do what is right, even in the face of adversity.

In these final verses of Psalm 37, God’s relentless love and concern for mankind continues to resonate. He is still calling out to those with unrepentant hearts. Sinners who refuse to repent and turn from their wicked ways, will be destroyed and have no future. On the other hand God’s righteous ones, who have repented and given their lives to Jesus Christ, will be saved from evil and enjoy a future of peace. He promises to protect His children in times of trouble.

I’m asking God to renew our strength so that we will not become weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9). We need power from His Holy Spirit to keep pursuing His divine purpose for our lives. We need His “keen vision” to see life from His eternal perspective. Whatever you do, don’t give up the fight! I’m praying for you.

Perhaps you have been reading these Psalm 37 posts, and you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Maybe you are now beginning to think about your life more deeply. Maybe you are wondering what God has in store for you if you will trust Him. I invite you to ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and to ask Jesus to come into you life and be your Savior and Lord. Jesus paid the price on Calvary so that you can be delivered from sin and shame. He wants to spend eternity with you in heaven. Will you trust Him to make you a new creation and make all things new?

2 Corinthians 5:17(KJV), “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

This is probably the most familiar verse in Psalm 37…

Psalm 37:4(NKJV),”Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Hold this promise close to your heart and trust the Lord to love and care for you in ways you have yet to even imagine.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV), “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

Keep smiling & Keep shining for JESUS.

A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 5-7)

Psalm 37:5-7 (NIV), “5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Verse 5 reiterates the importance of committing to and trusting in the Lord. One thing I will say about commitment and trust is that they both take time. Neither one of them are easy to do, especially depending on the circumstances we are in. However it all starts with a decision. Just like our faith in Christ started with a simple decision to accept Him as our Lord and Savior, so does learning to commit to Him and trust Him. Growth in our relationship with Christ will happen in stages and be a lifelong process. As long as we have hearts that are willingly saying “yes”, then the Holy Spirit will empower us to live for Jesus.

Have you ever felt as if you needed to be vindicated? Vindication is not only needing to be cleared of some type of blame or suspicion, but it is also when someone or something is finally proven right. As Christians we often do suffer just for trying to do what is right. Mostly because we live in a world that tends to call wrong right and right wrong. So when we aim to do what’s right by God’s standard, someone will often come along and try to tell us that we’re doing wrong. They may also try to convince us that our godly ways are ludicrous. Verse 6 comes to the rescue by assuring us that our righteous reward will shine like the dawning of a new day and our vindication will shine like the noonday sun. The Lord will expose the darkness of evil by shining His Light on it. He will bring us the needed vindication when he clears us of blame and proves us right.

Just like with commitment and trust, we must also rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to teach us to be still, wait patiently for the Lord and not fret/worry. It really all goes back to trust. Do we trust God to show up for us? If we don’t trust God, chances are we will struggle to be still and wait for Him. After all, who waits for someone that’s not coming? We will feel pressure to take matters into our own hands if we think God is going to stand us up. However, there is nothing sweeter than when God shows up on our behalf and fights our battles.  I have had plenty of times where I worried about stuff only to find out God had already taken care of it. My worrying was completely in vain. Yeah, there are situations we can fix, but some situations are way beyond us. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can cut through the foolish and wicked schemes of ungodly people who are trying to work against us. We just need to make a decision to sit back and watch Him work. Will you make a decision to commit to Jesus and trust Him just one day at a time?

Previous Reading: A Look at Psalm 37: (verses 1-2)

Previous Reading: A Look at Psalm 37: (verses 3-4)

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A Look at Psalm 37: (verses 3-4)

Psalm 37:3-4 (NIV), “3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

When we dwell with the Lord we find true safety. Abiding in Him is a covering for our lives. He will care for us and provide what we need to have an enjoyable life.  The word pasture comes from the Latin word “pastus”, which means to feed or nourish.  God assures us that he will “feed” us all we need to live successful and meaningful lives. His love will keep us well nourished spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. He promises to grant us our hearts desires when we delight ourselves in Him. Delighting in the Lord means to find great pleasure in Him and to enjoy being with Him. When we delight in the Lord, we will find ourselves having a hunger for the things of the Lord. Getting to know the Lord and loving who He is will lead us to want to live in obedience to Him.

I think it pays to ask ourselves often, “Am I delighting myself in the Lord?” It’s easy to lose focus due to the fact there are so many distractions in daily life. I thought about Luke chapter 15, where Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep. He said that if there are one hundred sheep and one is lost, the shepherd should leave the ninety-nine and go after the one to find it. That is how He feels about us when we are not abiding safely in the pasture He has prepared for us. He longs for us to return to Him. He is our loving Shepherd who takes great delight in watching over us.

Previous Reading: A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 1-2)

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Our Greatest Example of Trusting God

The greatest example we have of trusting God to do what’s best for us is this…

Luke 22:42 (NIV), “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

We see love, humility, strength and resolve in King Jesus as He trusted the Father, even as He was facing death. He requested that God remove the “cup” He had to bear, if it was His will to do so, but above all else He wanted to do the will of God. Doing God’s will meant suffering and dying for us. He rose again and now intercedes for us continuously before the Father.

Hebrews 7:25 (NIV),”Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

“Not my will Lord, but Your will be done.” I pray that will be the cry of our hearts everyday. Jesus carried the shame and guilt of our sins, and paid the ultimate price as He endured the agony of the cross for us.

Jesus said yes to participating in God’s redemption plan for you, me and all of mankind. He said yes to God. He gave His life. Have you accepted His free gift of salvation? Have you said yes to the divine purpose God has for you, to help Him bring love, hope, and meaning to the world?

Father,

Help us to say yes to You everyday. Jesus set the greatest example of saying yes and trusting You that we will ever see. You want to do great things in us and through us, but we must first say yes to You. We give ourselves to You, to include our hopes, desires, strengths, weaknesses, hurts, pains, joys, successes and failures. Not our will Lord, but Your will be done. Come into our hearts and make us new. Teach us by Your Holy Spirit to live for You.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Life is so short. Say yes to Jesus Christ.

Don’t Grow Weary in Doing Good

Galatians 6:9(NIV), “Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Not growing weary in doing good will cause us to reap a harvest of blessings in our lives. In reality, every action we take, will reap some type of harvest, even the wrong ones. As Galatians 6:7 says, “You reap what you sow.” We must pray and ask God to tear down any walls we are holding up, so that we can clearly see His perspective as we are making daily choices. Not just when we have a big decision to make, but also in the little things we do. Little things that seem insignificant can mean a lot, and can alter our outcome.

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Consistently doing what is right is not easy for any of us, but that is one of the ways God builds our character. It can be especially difficult to choose right when our emotions are steering us in the wrong direction. Although having emotions is a good thing, emotions just like everything else in our lives, must be governed by the truth of God’s Word. His Word is the standard by which we as Christians are called to live. We will of course at times fall short, but the more we learn to choose right over choosing wrong, or choose right over doing what’s easy, the better off we will be.

It’s always beneficial to surround ourselves with like minded people who can encourage us in our walk with God. However there will still undoubtedly be times we will have to stand alone in doing what is right. Just know that God is always near, and He promises to reward your diligence, so don’t grow weary. There is a harvest of blessings ahead for you. Even now as you may feel the pressures of choosing to do what is right, God will bless you with strength. He will also give you that contentment that comes from knowing, you have chosen to do His will above all else.

Matthew 5:10 (NLT),”God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”