Within My House

Tags

christian walk, family, home, integrity, within the home. house

Within My House

 

 

    As I was reading a Psalm the other morning, I came across verse two in Psalm 101. It says, “I will give heed to the blameless way…I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.” I was forced to ask myself the question, ‘Do I walk in integrity within my own house?’ Would my family in the honesty of their heart be able to say that I daily walk in uprightness and authenticity within our home? Yes, I need to be able to “let my guard down” and be who I truly am with my family, but isn’t that the point? Who am I? Am I a person who is the same without my public mask or, do I change into someone else the moment the blinds are closed? Do I talk differently? Do I watch different things? Does my mind take a different direction than what my church family thinks? Only the people who live with me twenty-four hours a day truly know that. Are they seeing someone who walks in integrity, or a fraud?

  Integrity, according to The American Heritage College Dictionary, is defined as “the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.” I have to ask myself if I have a divided heart or, a whole heart. Does my family see (and hear) a woman who is torn between her flesh and the Spirit who dwells in her or, do they see a woman who is devoted to her God consistently? Divided or, whole? Flesh or, Spirit?

  I do not have a complete, whole heart naturally. I like to think that I am a moral person, but in my flesh, I do not serve God with every fiber of my being each second of every day. The apostle Paul communicates this struggle to us in Romans 7. He says that he wants to do the good, but the bad is still present, persisting, trying to get a foothold. The battle continues to rage. No one knows this better than our families. Sometimes, we have held it together for so long with the public that by the time we get home, there is nothing left in the tank but the truth of who we are. What comes out then? If we have truly surrendered all to the Holy Spirit, then He is still coming out. If we are filled with ourselves, then impatience, snappiness, anger and much more comes to the surface. Who bears the brunt of that? Our families.

  We need to ask ourselves, “Who am I within my house?”

  Many times my boys (and my husband) have seen things that I wish they hadn’t. They have heard things that they should never have heard from my mouth. In those moments, (or when God’s conviction has prodded later), I have asked them for forgiveness and we have been able to discuss the situation. My family knows I’m not perfect, but how I handle those imperfections is paramount to how my family views me. Do they see me as a deceiver who never admits a mistake or, as a disciple of Christ who asks forgiveness?

  Integrity is all about having a unified heart. A heart that is not one way in the community and one way at home. Psalm 86:11 says, “…unite my heart to fear Thy name.” The only way to have integrity within our homes is through God. We have to ask Him to provide the unifying miracle of an undivided heart then, take His provision and utilize it. Every portion of our heart must be under His control or, unity and truth are non-existent.

  There will be times when our hearts are broken. There is no need to hide that from our families. They know we are distraught and they need to see Who we run to when our lives are messy. Seeing us struggle with our Lord and come through a stronger Christian will enable them to admit when they need help and guidance. They will remember that you struggled, admitted it and allowed God to bring you through it. They will know that our God is their God and He is trustworthy. They will remember that God mended you and He will mend them. They know it because they have seen it in your life within their home. They need to see a genuine walk.

  How do we walk in integrity day in and day out? Only through the provision of the Father. Psalm 105:4 tells us to “Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually.” This is the only way to have a cohesive heart. We have to rely on Jesus every second of every day, trusting His Spirit within us to guide. We must be in the Word that purifies us and washes us clean daily (Ephesians 5:26). Only then can true integrity reign in every area of our lives. Only then can our homes be the same inside and out. Only then can our families know that God Himself walked within their home through us.

  

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Battles

Tags

armor, battles, christian walk, spiritual battles

 Battles

 

Many times we find ourselves in a spiritual battle of some sort. Sometimes, we have a clear warning of what is about to happen and other times we are in the midst of combat looking around thinking, ‘How in the world did I end up here?’ Battles are hard, but they are an integral part of our Christian walk. We have to be careful though that the battle we are concerned with is the battle the Lord would have us to take part in. I Samuel 17:47 says, “…for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.”

I confess often times I forget that the battle is the Lord’s and not my own. I forget that He is a mighty Warrior and willing and able to produce victory in my life. But, I have to make sure that the battle I am in IS the Lord’s and not something that I have plunged into without His guidance. Just as an officer in the Armed Forces waits for his commander’s instructions, so I wait for my Commander’s instructions. A man in uniform would never engage in a conflict without the authority given to him by his superior. I would be wise to do the same. So, how do I determine whether a battle is the Lord’s, or not?

First off, have I asked Him? Oftentimes, I have assumed that a situation calls for a battle when in reality, God wants me to be still before Him and see Him work. Psalm 16:7 tells us “I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.” The Lord is our greatest Counselor. He will tell us when to engage in battle and when to lay low. Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” He sees all and will tell us what to do. We just have to ask and listen until we hear Him clearly. Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or to the left.” His instructions are clear if I am listening.

Psalm 27:5 gives us a beautiful image of being still in the midst of a battle raging all around us. It says, “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent he will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.” So, let’s be sure that we have asked Him whether this is a battle to fight, or a time for Him to cover us from the shelling.

Secondly, is the timing right time for this battle? I think of Joshua 7and the Battle of Ai. Joshua and the Israelites had just come through a mighty victory. They had conquered Jericho and supposed that the next battle would be just as easy. God had showed Himself mighty on their behalf and they assumed that it was time for the next conflict. Joshua chose to push forward and they were met with defeat. Why? The timing was off. God had other things to deal with in the camp. Joshua was in the right battle, but at the wrong time. We only know the difference when we are in constant communication with our God. Psalm 27:11 says, “Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a level path, because of my foes.” The original language actually says “those who lie in wait for me.” We have got to realize that the enemy wants us to start fighting before we are prepared to do so. In the physical realm, we would never think of sending our soldiers out without basic training and yet in the spiritual realm, we think we don’t have to be prepared. I Peter 5:6 says that we are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand and He will take care of when we are to be lifted up. If we jump the gun, we will be defeated just like Joshua was in chapter 7. Chapter 9 is a different story. Joshua and the Hebrew people had ultimate victory over Ai because they backed up, sought the Lord and He once again brought them success. The timing of the battle was once again placed in God’s hands, where it belonged.

Third, what is our motive for this battle? As we have stated before, the battle is the Lord’s, not ours. So, if we have our own agenda, it’s not His battle. Romans 12:19, says, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the LORD.”  If it’s payback, it’s your battle, not the Lord’s. We have got to release every situation to Him and let Him direct our ways.

Another reason I might rush into a battle that is rash is because I want what someone else has. Deuteronomy 2:9 says, “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.’

We need to ask ourselves, ‘Am I causing someone strife and heartache because I simply want what they have’?  If a battle is to gain ground that someone else already possesses for the Lord, is it really a battle the Lord wants us to fight? So much territory is left to gain for the Lord. Why would we want to wrestle control from a friendly ally?

We are called to battle with the Lord at times. Ephesians 6:12 and 13 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm.”

So, how can we know that we are prepared for the battle? Being prepared for battle requires us to be ready at a moment’s notice, fully armed for whatever battle the Lord calls us to. We are ready, but not pushing. We are standing strong in the power of His might, (Ephesians 6:10) but never insistent to fight the battle we want to fight. Only God sees every aspect of the whole war. We often only see the skirmish in front of us, but He sees the whole battle plan. He knows the terrain. He knows the timing. He knows every aspect to bring us to certain victory if we are in perfect submission to Him. When I am in subjection to Him, I am wearing His armor. I have allowed Him to place His helmet of salvation on my head. The breastplate of righteousness is firmly intact. My “loins” are girded with His truth. He has shod my feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. I have His shield of faith in one hand and the sword of the Spirit in my other. I am alert in prayer for myself and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 6:14-18). I am also clothed with His robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). Even with all this amazing equipment though, I need to be trained and Psalm 18:34 assures me that He trains my hands for battle. So, we are ready but, in complete subjection to His authority. I am prepared for battle but, awaiting His direction.

Unfortunately, our battles are sometimes with people that we dearly love. Judges 20 describes a time like this for the nation of Israel. The Word of God tells us that the tribe of Benjamin was in grave sin, but refused to repent. Judges 20:13 says, “…the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.” God called the nation to battle their brothers so that sin would depart. The Bible tells us that the civil war was hard fought and bloody. After a fierce confrontation, verse 23 of Judges 20 tells us “And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, ‘Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?’ And the LORD said, ‘Go up against him.’ These dear people did not want to fight their brothers anymore, but they did what the Lord required of them.

A good guide for us when we feel like a battle needs to be waged with a brother or sister in Christ is to ask ourselves the question, ‘Am I excited about this battle or, weeping over it?’ If I am excited, my motives are not right. Sometimes, we are glad that someone’s sins are found out. When sin is found, we feel like we are justified in not liking someone. We are glad that we will not have to deal with them any longer. When we are truly in a battle for the Lord, we are continually asking Him to bring them to repentance so that the battle will not have to be fought. We are not excited; we are weeping. We are in mourning over the loss of a fellow believer. We want them to still be part of the fellowship and are devastated that they refuse. We have got to be in continual communication with God, asking Him what the right plan of action is for the moment.

The really encouraging thing about being in a battle is that when the battle is the Lord’s, ultimate victory is assured. Psalm 18:18-19 says, “They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.” When we fight the Lord’s battle, the outcome is in His hands. He is delighting in us because we are looking to Him for our tactics, timing and results. We are not concerned with what someone else is doing on their battlefield because we are focused on what our Commander would have us to do.

The results? “For by Thee I can run upon a troop; and by my God I can leap over a wall.” We have empowerment that we never dreamed because we are filled with Him. His power is our power because His desires are our desires.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary,” Isaiah 40:28-31.

Be encouraged today that even in the midst of a battle, if it is the Lord’s, ultimate victory will happen. Don’t look around at the devastation, look to your Savior. He is there and He is winning. Rest in Him. He’s got this.

 

Beginning to Forgive

Tags

christian journey, forgiveness, God, Job, trust

Beginning to Forgive

In my life I have often been called to forgive. I have been called to forgive people who knew full well the hurt they were inflicting and others who had no clue. Forgiveness is not a natural thing for me. In fact, it’s a VERY hard thing. But, I Thessalonians 5:24 says, “Faithful is He who called you who also will do it.” I am assured that as God calls me to forgive, He gives me the empowerment to do it.

In the book of Job, we read about three well-meaning friends who just didn’t have a clue. They tried to help their friend Job. They really did. They instead added to his pressure. They added to his grief. They added to his confusion. They added to his pain. They were at the right place at the right time, but with the wrong words.

I’ve been in situations like that, haven’t you? Someone is with you in an intense moment, but you just really wish that they would stop talking. You draw comfort from their presence, but not their words. Ecclesiastes 3:7 says there is “a time to be silent, and a time to speak.” Sometimes, words are just not the answer. Words are never the answer when we have no idea what God is doing in someone’s life. A verse for us in moments like that would be Psalm 46:10. It says, “Cease striving and know that I am God; …” Be still and know that He is God. Stop talking and pray.

Job 42:10 says, “And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends…”

Do you wonder what would have happened if Job had not prayed for his friends? Would God have still restored his fortunes two-fold? Would God have just replaced what was originally taken? Would God have replaced anything? We can’t know for sure because Job was faithful to pray and the Bible points that out to us.

Do you wonder though how long it took Job to come to that point? When was he able to lay aside the hurt long enough to even contemplate praying for his friends? Was it a few hours, a few days, a few months, or a few years? I want to know, but then again I love how God leaves the time frame out. The beginning of forgiveness is different for all of us. If it took Job a few hours, but it takes me a few months, I would feel like a failure. If it took Job a few months, but I only take a few days, I would have the tendency to be prideful. In the long run, some things are better left unknown. My journey to forgiveness will look different from yours and Job’s will look different as well.

In Matthew 5:44 – 45 Jesus says, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…”

Jesus commands us to pray for those who wrong us so that our relationship with God is unhindered. That’s the kicker, isn’t it? It’s not just my relationship with the people who have wronged me that is affected, it is my relationship with God. In order to be filled with the Spirit as Ephesians 5:18 commands, I must be in complete surrender to Him. In order to be in complete surrender to Him, no sin can be between Him and me or, a brother or sister in Christ. Matthew 6:14 and 15 says, “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Yikes! We can debate exactly what this means for years, but the bottom line that we can all agree on is that when we are holding unforgiveness in our heart regarding another person, we are NOT in right standing with our Lord.

Our ultimate goal in our Christian walk is to be like Christ. Lamentations 3:23 tells us that His mercies are new every morning. That is to be our definitive objective. Our mercies are to be new every morning as well. When God’s Spirit is flowing freely through us, we won’t be able to help ourselves. We are so filled with God that His mercies naturally flow through us to others. The same Christ who said, ‘Father, forgive them they know not what they do,’ on the Cross is working in us. Christ gave us the ultimate example of praying for those who persecute us. When I am like Christ, I am praying for those who have wronged me.

So, how can we begin to forgive in everyday life? How can we get to the place where Christ’s forgiveness is a natural occurrence?

First off, we have to decide that we want to forgive and make it a priority. If we are not proactive about forgiveness, it will not happen. Hebrews 12:15 tells us to let no root of bitterness be found in us. Roots are deep, underground things that eventually spring up into nastiness. We have got to be anticipatory and not allow unforgiveness to take root in our heart.

If you do not want to even think about forgiving, ask God to give you that desire, His desire for you. He will mold your heart into His heart. Be honest with Him. He knows how you feel anyway, so pour out your heart before Him (Psalm 62:8). Allow Him to take control. His Spirit working in us is the only way that this yearning will come. Forgiveness is not about a natural desire in us, but Christ’s heart working through us.

Secondly, we have to use The Word of God to help us in our journey toward forgiveness. Sometimes, our hearts have become so hard toward someone that it becomes like cement. We would like to forgive them. God is changing our heart to want to forgive, but we feel like a stone is laying on our chest. Jeremiah 23:29 says, “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “And like a hammer which shatters rock?” Allow His Word to penetrate. Mediate on verses daily that deal with Who He is. Our relationship with God is worth any amount of forgiveness that He is requiring of us. Ask His Spirit to give you a few verses that are a special gift from Him to you for this specific journey.

Third, we must keep forgiving. Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. Jesus told Peter that he was to forgive his brother seventy times seven. We are to forgive as many times as is needed. For me, this comes into play in my thoughts more so than in someone’s actions towards me. I can’t remember a phone number to save my life, but a conversation…I can remember every word for years. So, for me, every time a remembrance of a wrong comes up, I once again must choose to forgive. Bitterness can take root in my heart over something that was long since forgiven. But, if I dwell on it long enough, unforgiveness takes root again. I have to stay on the alert. I have to continue to forgive. Once again, I have to ask God to empower me to forgive. I have to ask Him to help me focus on Him and not others.

Is forgiveness easy? Never in our own power. Is forgiveness worth it? Always. Anything that our Lord calls us to is worth it. We have to trust that our Righteous Judge will set things right one day. When I trust God with my hurts and disappointments I give Him room to work. I love that I do not have to explain my case to Him. He was there, He knows all. He heard all and will take care of it for me. There is no need for me not to forgive, God has my back. So why would I waste my resources on not forgiving someone? God’s got this.

So, am I willing to pray for those who have wronged me? Am I willing to trust God and pray that His will be done in the life of someone who has caused trouble in my life? Am I willing to stand in the gap for a person who I don’t even desire to speak to? When I am able to pray, that is the beginning of forgiveness. That’s the journey I am called to. That’s the journey you are called to. Let’s choose today to place unforgiveness in His hands. Let’s choose today to erase any debt that we have tabulated. Let’s allow His Holy Spirit to break up our hard heart and above all…let’s pray.

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Trust – Part 2

Trust – part 2

Last week, we began to explore trust. More specifically, do we trust God? We read a lot of quotes from modern day Christians, but let’s go to the real Source of our strength today, the Word of God.

Who are some examples that you can think of who trusted the Lord in the Bible?

You may think of people like Abraham, Isaac, Job, David, Daniel and his friends, or even Rahab. These are just a few examples in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, we have examples like eleven of the disciples, Jesus Himself, Paul and many early Christians.The Scriptures are chocked full of amazing illustrations of people who lived a life filled with trust in God.

But, how do can we attain this kind of trust for ourselves? What did these people understand that we do not? What was their “secret”?

Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing, and refreshment to your bones.”

Sounds easy, right? All we have to do is trust in the Lord with all our heart and He will make our paths straight. In other words, our paths will be clear. Not only that, but verse eight goes on to say that our bodies will be healed and we will have refreshment for our bones. How many of us need bone deep refreshment? Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it?

If the payoff is so great, why do we struggle so much with trusting God?

The Word says in Psalm 62:8, “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

Nahum 1:7 says, “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”

These verses assure us that when we trust God, it does not escape His notice. He knows those who trust in Him. Again, the payoff for trusting is incredible! We are able to pour out our hearts to Someone who always hears. The LORD can be our stronghold and a refuge. He is solid and secure.

Earlier, we mentioned Abraham as one of our examples of trust. In Romans 4:20-21, it says in regards to Abraham’s life, “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief [lack of trust], but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He [God] had promised, He was able also to perform.”

What had God promised Abraham? He promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation. He promised that He would give Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky (Genesis 12-18). Did God fulfill His promises immediately? No. In fact, Abraham made some drastically wrong decisions waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled, but it is encouraging to me that even though his life was filled with mistakes, the overarching theme was a life of trust. Abraham is a great example to us in that even after sin we can have a life that God Himself categorizes as a life of trust.

How do we get to the place in our lives where we truly trust in the Lord with all of our heart? How do we get to the place where we look at Proverbs 3:5 and 6 and say, “Praise the Lord, that’s me; I am trusting in Him and leaning upon His understanding, not my own”? How do we get to the place where God Himself categorizes our lives as ones of trust?

Once again, it comes back to relationship. The more I know someone, the more I trust them (or don’t). Trust always comes back to connection.

Psalm 9:10 says, “And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; For Thou, O LORD, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee.”
When we get to know our God, we will trust Him. We will not be able to help ourselves!

Psalm 34:8 tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Tasting is a full on experience. There is no partial commitment in tasting. God wants us to experience Him full on. He knows He is holding nothing back from us. He is holding no dark secrets. He desires us to get to know Him. In fact, I John 1:5 says that there is not one dark shadow with our God. He is light, He is truth and He can be trusted. There is no darkness in Him AT ALL.

Let’s look at some truths in God’s Word and see who our God is. Let’s answer the question, “Is He worthy of our trust”?

Lamentations 3:22-26 says, “The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore, I have hope in Him.’ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.”

This Scripture tells us that God is faithful, loving, kind and compassionate towards us. In fact, His mercies are new every morning!

Can we trust a God like that?

Isaiah 65:24 says, “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

This Scripture assures us that God hears us when we call. In fact, it actually says He answers before we have even finished asking. As parents, we have all experienced this somewhat. You anticipate what your kids are going to ask you. You are excited because you know your answer will be yes. They are timidly poking one another to see who will ask and you can’t help but smile knowing that you are going to give them great joy…if they would only get on with it and ask! When they finally do, you are already shaking your head yes because you are so excited for them. That’s our God. He knows our requests, but He is waiting for us to ask. He hears and can be trusted to answer. Sometimes His answer is not yes just like a parent cannot always say yes, but He always hears and answers.

Can we trust a God like that?

What about Job though? We don’t like to think about him too often, do we? If you have not read the book of Job, I highly encourage you to do so. In this book of the Bible, we read that Job was taken through trials that were unimaginable. He literally lost all of his possessions, his children and his health. He stayed faithful to God, but had no idea why God had allowed Satan to wreak havoc in his life. Job had no idea what was going on, but God was still faithful to him through it all. Did God hear Job when he called? Yes. Did Job know it immediately? No. But, God was faithful and wove Job’s life story into an amazing testimony that we are still gleaning from today.

Was God trustworthy through Job’s trails? Yes.

Can we trust God through our trials? Yes, we can.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Do you realize that God did not have to promise us this? I have taken this verse for granted for too long. He could have designed the world that, yes, we could still be saved through the blood of His Son, but if we messed up, we messed up. Our lives could be strictly what we make of them. Scary thought, isn’t it? But, our God loves us so much that He has promised us that all the messes that we create and that happen in the world around us that are beyond our control, He takes and makes this incredibly beautiful life story.

I ask you, ‘How can a God like that NOT be trusted’?

Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Can we trust a God like that? Absolutely!

Now that we have the assurance that God is indeed worthy of our trust, we once again come to the place of asking how we get this truth for ourselves. How do we personally get to the place of trust that He desires for us and that He is so worthy of?

Romans 7:18 says, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”

Where is the hope in that? There is great hope because the first step in achieving true trust in the Lord is knowing that we are incapable of it. Our flesh cannot do anything good, only His Spirit in us can make this happen. Just like everything else in our Christian walk, it is about Him in us. Only God in us can equip us to have full trust in Him.

Romans 8 tells us that our flesh is not able to accomplish anything without the Holy Spirit. It is all Christ living in us. So, when we ask Jesus to save us, the Holy Spirit resides in us equipping us for the walk that we are called to on this earth. When I am in complete surrender to Him, my trust level is where it should be because His Spirit is empowering me. It is all about daily surrender, a daily choosing to say yes to anything that God allows to come through His protective hedge. It is a personal choice.

Imagine that your life is a book. God places your book before you and says, “Here is the cover. I want you to say, ‘yes’ to Me before you see the pages inside. Trust me with your story. Trust me to make every page a beautiful testimony of My love for you.”

Oh, you want to see it all, don’t you? I do as well. But, true trust is saying, “yes” before the first page is turned. Every day go before your Father and say, “yes”. He will take every page of your life and mold it, shape it and design it into a masterpiece, His masterpiece. He will take chapters that you thought were a waste and weave it into a beautiful, complex plot that only He can imagine. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope.’ ”

I encourage you to trust Him fully, trust Him wholly and please say, “Yes” daily. Place your book in His hands and never look back, only up into the beautiful, trustworthy face of your Savior and Lord.

Trust – Part 1

Tags

basics, christian walk, faith, God, the next step, trust

                                                                                         

 

                                 Trust – part 1

Today, I want us to think about trust. More specifically, our trust in the Lord.

Do we trust Him?

How much do we trust Him?

If I am not trusting how do I change that?

Is He worthy of our trust?

You know, the basics. Sometimes though, the basics are the toughest, deepest truths of our Christian walk.

We need to remember first of all that trust is all about relationship. We cannot trust someone we do not know. When my husband and I first married, I didn’t know him like I know him now. If we were taking a walk in the woods and came across a rickety looking bridge and he told me to cross it, I would not have done so. In fact, I would have insisted on calling my dad to check if it were safe! But now, I know he is trustworthy. I know that if he tells me the bridge is safe to cross, it is. I still might not like crossing the bridge, but I will do it because the man that I trust says it’s fine. What has changed? The time that I have spent getting to know him.

The same is true with my relationship with God. When I first received Him as Savior, I did not know Him as I do now. I trust Him more because we are further along in our journey together. That’s why learning about God is so important. We will never know Him fully. There is always more to learn, but that’s why it’s so fun! God is never boring. It is vital that we learn about who He is from the truth of His Word. We cannot take another person’s opinion about who He is. We must discover Him for ourselves.

So in order to trust, I must spend time with my Savior, I must seek Him with all of my heart and soul. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart.”

That’s the first checkpoint of trust. Am I building my relationship with God daily? Am I learning more of who He is on a regular basis? Trust comes naturally when we are learning about who God is.

The second checkpoint of trust is praise. Lily Mae Gould said, “They that trust the Lord find many things to praise Him for. Praise always follows trust.” Do you see the correlation? If I’m trusting, I’m praising. If I’m not praising, I must not be trusting.

I have found this to be so true. When I have the right perspective, I see God’s provision even if it does not come as I expect. When I do not have the right perspective, when I do not see things from a place of trust, even when He does provide for my need, I do not see it. Why? My perception is wrong. My blinders of distrust are coloring my world.

Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Am I praising? If not, I am not in a place of trust.

Elizabeth Elliot said, “God does many things which we do not understand…a true faith [true trust] must rest solidly on God’s character and His Word, not on our particular conceptions of what He ought to do.”

When I know the God of the Word, I know that even though He may not do something like I think it should be done, He can still be trusted.

Mother Teresa said, “If we really fully belong to God, then we must be at His disposal and we must trust in Him. We must never be preoccupied with the future. There is no reason to be. God is there.”

Living in a place of complete trust allows me to be at peace with the future. Why? God is there preparing the way. But, the really beautiful thing about God is that He is also here, helping me and guiding me in this moment. Hebrews 13:5 says that He will never leave us or forsake us. We have heard often that God is omnipresent (present everywhere all the time) but we forget the beautiful truth that it represents. God is everywhere all the time! No need to worry or fret. God is there… and here. We can trust Him for every moment.

My third checkpoint of trust? Am I fearing the future? If I am, my trust is off. Do I pray about the future? Absolutely; but, the anxiety is not present because I am trusting in the God of the future.

My fourth checkpoint of trust is am I willing to take the next step without knowing the full journey? Did you all feel me shrink down into my seat? This is a hard one for me. As I’ve told you before, I am a roadmap girl. But, when I am in a true place of trust, I am willing to take whatever step God directs without knowing the outcome.

Joni Eareckson Tada said, “Great [trust] isn’t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It’s simply taking God at His word and taking the next step.”

Trust is all about simply taking the next step with God. Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or to the left.”

I especially love the next quote by Hannah Whitall Smith. She said, “It is the law of spiritual life that every act of trust makes the next act less difficult.”

When we keep taking step after step with our Lord, we know that He is worthy of our trust. We know that He is who He says He is in Scripture and that makes the next step easier, even if it is a step in the dark. When we know God’s character we remember that He is light and in Him is no darkness AT ALL. I John 1:5 assures us of that.

There is so much more to say on the subject of trust, but for the rest of this week let’s ponder the questions, “Do I trust God?” and “How much do I trust God?” Next week, we will study more of the Word to find out, “How do I trust Him more?” and “Is He worthy of my trust?”

Let me just close by encouraging you to pray for an open heart about trust issues that you may have. Let The Holy Spirit infiltrate your heart and show you ways that He wishes to grow you in the area of trust.

I also encourage you to meditate on I John 1:5 this week. It says, “This is the message that we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” Our God is indeed worthy of our trust.