Tag: Trusting God

When Trusting God Hurts

Sometimes it can be hard, I mean really, really hard to trust God. We want to, we try to, but we sometimes still find ourselves worrying. We find ourselves afraid of what tomorrow holds. The pressures we face on a daily basis can seem unbearable. Sometimes we have so much pain and frustration buried within our souls, that we ourselves can’t even fully understand it.

There are so many different people suffering in so many different ways. Some are angry. Some are depressed. Some are lonely. Some feel insignificant. Some are struggling to make ends meet. Some are homeless and living on the street. Some are very ill. The world we live in can be so cruel. People can be so mean. But everyday regardless of how we feel, or what struggles we have, we’re expected to just get up the next day and start all over again. There is no doubt life is hard.

In the midst of all of these things, God tells us to trust him. But what about when trusting Him hurts? Especially when we’ve been believing for a very long time, but the answers to our prayers still have not yet come. What do we do when we feel empty and drained? What do we do when we feel we have nothing else left to give?

WE WORSHIP.

Worship reminds us of who God is. It allows us to clearly see the heart of God. Everything we need is found in worship. God reveals Himself to us through worship. He reveals His truth to us, and His love for us. Through worship we receive healing and strength. Worship gives us confidence to face the unknown. It gives us the drive to keep trusting, to keep believing, to keep walking by faith, and to keep hoping, hoping in the One who knows all.

John 4:23 (NIV), “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.“

Trusting God can hurt because it forces us to put aside our pride, our plans, and even our pain so we can just focus on who He is. Finding time alone to just lay our hearts before God can seem challenging. However, we can always ask God in prayer, how to make time in our lives for worship. Worship is not just for Sunday mornings at church.

Whatever God tells us to do, He will empower us to do. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). Worship fills us. It completes us. In His presence is fullness of joy and eternal pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11).

When Trusting God Hurts…We Worship.

He’s With You In The Fire

Next to Jesus, Daniel is my favorite person in the Bible. I admire him because “he resolved” to do what was right in God’s eyes. He didn’t lower his standards to try and please others or gain their acceptance. His main interest was in bringing glory to our God. That’s a huge inspiration for us Christians today who are trying to stay true to God.

I’m sure I’ll write more about Daniel in the future, but right now I want to draw your attention to his three good friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It makes perfect sense that Daniel would have chosen them as his close friends. Because like Daniel, they were determined not to defile themselves by worshipping other gods. (Nowadays “other gods” can also be money, jobs, other people, or anything we put before Christ.) They resolved to worship the One True God.

Even though these young men endured a lot, it was evident that in their hearts, they always remembered who God said they were. Because of their loyalty to God, they were thrown into the fiery furnace, BUT GOD was in the furnace with them. Before being thrown into the furnace, these guys had already declared that they didn’t need to defend themselves, because God was able to deliver them. And guess what? He did!

They ended up coming out of the furnace completely unharmed! The Bible says they didn’t even smell like smoke. The evil king, King Nebuchadnezzar, who tried to take their lives ended up giving praise to our God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego….

Daniel 3:28(NIV), “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

Reminder #1-Don’t lower your standards for other people. Stay true to who you are in Christ.

Reminder#2-People may say many negative things about you, but never forget who God says you are!

Reminder#3-Be careful of the company you keep. True friends encourage your faith in God and want to see you do well in life.

Remind #4: When people mistreat you, God is able to defend and deliver you.

Reminder#5-When you walk in God’s ways, people will take notice and want to know more about the God you serve.

Last but not least…

Daniel 3:30(NIV), “Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”

Reminder#6-When you serve God, His favor rest upon you. So get ready to be promoted to the next level!

When the fires rage in your life, remember these three young Hebrews and don’t give up. God will always stand with you in the fire!!

Reflect: Can you remember a time in your life where God protected you as you walked through the fire?

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)

white and purple petal flower focus photography
Photo by Anthony on Pexels.com