Tag Archives: trusting God

July 25, 2022 · 5:51 AM

A Sound Mind

In 1 Kings 18 and 19, Elijah called for a showdown between the prophets of Baal and God. He called down fire from heaven to burn up the offering, caused it to rain and supernaturally outran King Ahab’s chariot. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife then said she was going to kill him and he ran for his life. He went about 400 miles south to Mount Sinai looking for God to reveal Himself like He did to the Israelites when they left Egypt. An angel asked him, “What are you doing here?” God then causes a great wind to come, an earthquake and afire, but He wasn’t in them. He then whispered showing His Word, even in a whisper is more powerful than anything. God asked him once again, “What are you doing here?”

This story is pretty crazy to me. How do you experience and operate in the power of God, and then run for your life like Elijah did? Fear. Fear causes us to doubt God no matter how close to Him we are or what gifts we operate in. It causes us to look at situations instead of to the One who can solve them. Fear is very powerful, but it’s no match for God’s still, small voice. Thankfully God is patient with us the way He was with Elijah. When we quit running and start listening, God will calm our fears and give us direction. If Elijah hadn’t let fear take over, He would have learned that God was going to destroy Ahab and his family. He could have saved himself a lot of pain and time if on,y He had run to God instead of away.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control” (TPT). Some version translate “self-control as “a sound mind”. If you’re running away emotionally, spiritually or physically today, know that your fear is not of God. He wants to give you a sound mind so you can see clearly. He wants to handle your situation, but you have to quit running and follow what He says. He may direct you to fight, to get help or He may just whisper into your situation. You need to put on the Helmet of Salvation and pray to seek God’s will in whatever is causing fear. Quit running, trust God and receive a sound mind from Him.

Photo by Erwann Letue on Unsplash

Listen to the words of this song and ask God to give you a sound mind in exchange for your spirit of fear.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 20, 2022 · 5:45 AM

Finding Joy

Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy were sent to a German concentration camp during World War II for hiding and smuggling Jews. They were taken to Ravenbruck and faced some pretty inhumane conditions. Women were packed in their barracks stacked on three high bunk beds where they used rotten hay for cushion. The conditions were so unsanitary that it was overrun with lice. Betsy reminded Corrie to be thankful in all circumstances, but Corrie said she’d never be thankful for the life. Her tune changed not long after when her tormentors refused to come in their barracks because of the lice. This provided them the opportunity to pray, read the Bible and share the Gospel. Corrie found a way to be thankful even for lice.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus” (GNT). This trifecta seems impossible at times, especially when we’ve been given life shattering news. However, God isn’t asking us to be thankful for all circumstances. It’s to be thankful in all circumstances. Thankfulness is always possible. It just matters how we look at our circumstances. A thankful heart looks for the goodness of God despite what the current outlook is. It clears all the confusion and the distractions when we turn our focus to God. He is the only one who can give us strength and grace in every circumstance. That is what allows us to pray at all times.

Finally, don’t confuse happiness with joy. Happiness is dependent on your circumstances, joy is not. Happiness is a reaction while joy is a lifestyle born from possessing inner peace that passes all understanding. Joy is your strength to endure whatever you face (Nehemiah 8:10). It is critical in this life and why the author mentioned it first. If you lose your joy, you’ve lost your strength to pray and be thankful because you’ve quit trusting in God. Joy trusts God even when the outcome is unsure and looks unfavorable. God holds your life in His hands. No matter what you face, it will never separate you from His love (Romans 8:38). Joy gives us an eternal perspective in temporary bodies. Because of it, we can keep our eyes on Jesus, pray at all times and find a way to be thankful.

Photo by Ante Hamersmit on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 15, 2022 · 5:39 AM

In God We Trust

The US currency says, “In God we trust,” however, we tend to put our trust in the currency instead of Him. We think if we had more, we could do XYZ or we wouldn’t have the troubles we currently have. When we believe that something can solve our problems, we are putting our trust in that instead of in God. When we put our trust in something other than God, we rely on Him and His Word less. That kind of thinking slowly pulls us away from our relationship with God. We must stop those thoughts when they come in and redirect our trust to God. He is worthy of our trust, and there are blessings that come with trusting in Him.

Here are some Bible verses on trusting in God.

1. Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

1 Timothy 6:17 NLT

2. Lord, so many times I fail; I fall into disgrace. But when I trust in you, I have a strong and glorious presence protecting and anointing me. Forever you’re all I need!

Psalms 73:26 TPT

3. A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in God brings a sense of well-being.

Proverbs 28:25 MSG

4. Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.

John 14:1 NLT

5. The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith [our ability to confidently trust in God and in His power].”

Luke 17:5 AMP

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

July 14, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Place And Position

God has placed in each one of us a feeling that lets us know we were meant for more. It’s a holy calling that reminds us to keep moving forward and that the place where we are now is only temporary. He uses places in our lives to prepare us for positions He wants to give us. However, when we become discontent in the place we’re in, the enemy plays to our sympathies telling us we deserve a higher position. His plan is two fold. First, he wants to get you out of the place you’re in prematurely before God has finished His work. Secondly, he wants to make you desire a position that is different than the one God has for you in order to slow you down in your progress towards God’s plan.

David’s place was a pasture. The position he was preparing for was king. He had to remain in the pasture watching sheep facing lions and bears in preparation for being king. He had to go into a valley to face a giant, and he lived in caves running from King Saul. I’m sure his mind was telling him he deserved his position in the palace while he lived in those caves, but he didn’t give into the voice. He trusted God’s plan and timing for him to receive the position. Each time the position presented itself to him to take, he stayed in his place waiting for God to open the door. Because of that, God honored him in the position of king more than any other king.

In Mark 10, James and John wanted the position of Jesus’ right and left in the new kingdom. Jesus asked if they were able to endure the suffering that comes with those positions. Ignorantly they said yes. In verses 39-40 Jesus said, “You will certainly drink from the cup of my sufferings and be immersed into my death, but to have you sit in the position of highest honor is not mine to decide. It is reserved for those whom grace has prepared them to have it” (TPT). They wanted a position before they were prepared in their place. The beautiful thing Jesus illustrated here is that grace prepares us in the place we are in now for the position He has for us in the future. His grace is sufficient to guide you and strengthen you in the place you’re in right now so He can give you the positions He’s planned for you. Be patient and trust His plan and ignore the sympathetic lies of the enemy.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 12, 2022 · 5:43 AM

Leaving Stress Behind

Steven Covey taught that many of us aren’t as productive as we could be because of how we spend our time and how we manage the tasks we face. He divided up tasks into four areas. There’s urgent and non urgent, and important and not important. One of the problems many of us face is that we live in the quadrant that is urgent and important. It sounds good on the surface, but the truth is that all we’re doing is putting out fires constantly. We’re doing a lot, but we’re going nowhere. We need to be spending our time focusing on the important, but not urgent quadrant. That one will help us plan for the future and prevent many of the fire drills we face.

In Luke 10, Jesus was visiting the house of Martha and Mary. Martha was in the quadrant of urgent and important. She was busy trying to clean, cook and serve. Mary was in the quadrant of important and not urgent. She sat at Jesus’ feet to listen and learn. Martha got upset at Mary, just like people who live in that quadrant do, and told Jesus to have her help. Jesus replied, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (NLT). Jesus understood how tiring it gets living that way being distracted and constantly worrying. Martha wasn’t stressed out or distracted. She was calm because she focused on the right things.

Psalm 37:5 says, “Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly!” (TPT) God knows what is best for you. Cast your cares, your schedule and whatever else is distracting you on Him. Give Him to right to guide your life. He knows what’s best for you mentally, physically and spiritually. Refocus your heart on Him, spend time daily sitting at His feet listening. You’ll find your life will be the way He intended it. Commit all your ways to Him and trust Him in every area of your life. You’ll find peace and rest for your mind, body and soul. He knows what’s best for you and will lead you beside the still waters.

Photo by Olivia Snow on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 11, 2022 · 5:52 AM

Digging Ditches

I grew up in a church where all forms of gambling (including Bingo) were considered taboo. When my next door neighbor, who was a little, old lady who had been in the church since the 1920’s, wanted to tell me a gambling joke, I was all ears. She said, “There was a man who wanted to win the lottery real bad so he prayed, ‘Lord, if you let me win the lottery, I’ll pay my tithe and give another 10% to missions.’ Do you know what the Lord said back to him?” I said, “Depart from me, I never knew you?” She shook her said and whispered, “Buy a ticket!” I laughed then because it was out of character for who I thought God was. I laugh now because we all do something similar to Him when we want something big.

In 2 Kings 3, the armies of Israel and Judah went to attack Moab because they quit paying tribute. They took the wilderness route so as not to be seen. When they got close, the men were tired and out of water. They called for Elisha to ask God for help. He told them to dig ditches and they would be filled with water even though it wouldn’t rain. It didn’t make sense, but the army complied. The next morning a pool of water ran through the valley filling all the holes giving the men and animals enough to drink. The opposing army showed up, saw the red morning sky reflecting in the pools and thought it was blood. They went down to plunder on,y to be surprised and were defeated.

One of my favorite quotes says, “Pray like it depends on God. Work like it depends on you.” We are good about asking God for things like it depends on Him, but we’re not always good about digging those ditches like the armies of Israel. Sometimes the ditches were asked to dig won’t make sense. Dig them anyway. God’s actions are motivated by our faith in action. That’s the pattern of the Bible. God doesn’t always answer big prayers, but He does honor big faith in action that accompanies those prayers. What ditches do you need to be digging right now to prepare for God’s answer? Pick up a shovel today and start digging ditches. Don’t wait. Put some action to your faith. Do your part and expect God to do His.

Photo by Lucas van Oort on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

July 6, 2022 · 4:30 AM

Breath Of Life

I’ve been in the right place at the right time to save people’s lives. I’ve saved a friend who was drowning and couldn’t swim. I’ve done the Heimlich on someone who was chocking. I’ve even talked a couple of people off the ledge when they felt they had nothing to live for. However, I have never had to use CPR thankfully, even though I’ve been trained in it. CPR is unique in that you’re taking your breath and giving it to someone to bring life. It’s one of the greatest gifts you could ever give someone.

In Genesis, we read where God breathed into Adam and he became a living being. God’s breath brings greater life than our breath ever could. In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read, “God has transmitted his very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness” (TPT). His Word is life to each of us who breath it in and apply it to our lives. Remember that Jesus came to give life, and that more abundantly.

Isaiah 42:5 says, “God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth” (NLT). God has given you His breath to give you life and to bring things back to life that you thought were dead. If God promised something to you that has yet to be accomplished, it will surely come to pass. Speak His Word, that He breathed into, over those areas of your life. His Word will not fail (Luke 11:37), nor will it return accomplishing what He said (Isaiah 55:11). Ask God today to breath life into those areas and have faith that He will do it.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 21, 2022 · 5:55 AM

Even If

In the spring of 1998, my family was sitting in a waiting room at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. We had been living in that waiting room for about six weeks along with other families. My mom had slipped into a coma a few weeks earlier, and now the doctor wanted to talk to us in the consultation room. He said, “There’s nothing else we can do except to make her comfortable.” We sat there shocked with our faith taking a major blow. My dad then got everyone’s attention and said, “We will keep praying for healing, but if He chooses not to heal her here, purpose in your heart now not to be bitter against Him.” She passed away a few weeks later.

In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar built a 90 foot tall statue for the people to worship. Then he got some bad advice from some jealous officials. They didn’t like that the Jews who had been captured and taken into their country had different customs. They convinced him to put to death anyone who didn’t bow down to the statue knowing several Jews had ascended the governmental ranks. The king made a law condemning anyone who didn’t bow. The advisors were quick to point out three Hebrew brothers who didn’t bow. When the king confronted them, they explained that they couldn’t bow so he ordered them to be thrown into a furnace. They told him that God was able to save them. Then in verse 18 they said, “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!” (AMP)

“Even if He doesn’t” is a mindset we all must have. It’s great when prayers are answered the way we ask, but will you still trust, serve and love God if He doesn’t answer the way you want? Can you still follow Him with your whole hear when His answer doesn’t make sense and your world comes crashing down? The three Hebrews knew that God was able, but they were steadfast knowing He may not answer their prayer. I’ve learned, just as they did, that whether He answers you or not, He will stand with you in the fire. He won’t abandon you when the prayers go unanswered. He is still God. He is still in control. He still has a plan that I can’t see and I trust His decisions because He has proven His character over the history of this world. Will you still trust Him even if you don’t get the answers you want? Now is the time to make that decision, not later.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 17, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Trusting In The Rock

Have you ever heard someone refer to someone else as they’re rock? They’re saying that person was their solid ground and place of safety in unsure times. The Bible often refers to God as our rock. He is an unchanging place for us to stand on when everything else is sinking sand. In our world, there isn’t anything stable anymore that you can rely on or trust in. Everything we have tried to build our lives on or find security in has shifted, crashed or gone away. The only sure thing you and I have to hold onto is God Himself. Some trust in horses, others chariots, but we will r trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7). When your world is unstable, run to the Rock!

Here are some Bible verses on trusting in the Rock.

1. From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety.

Psalms 61:2 NLT

2. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe.

Psalms 31:2 NLT

3. On God my salvation and my glory rest; He is my rock of [unyielding] strength, my refuge is in God.

Psalms 62:7 AMP

4. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me; My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.

Psalms 18:2 AMP

5. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalms 71:3 NLT

Thanks to Winggo Tse @winggo for making this photo available freely on Unsplash 🎁

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 31, 2022 · 5:48 AM

Looking On The Inside

In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul chose to listen to the people he was leading rather than God. Because of his continuous disobedience God tore the kingdom from him to give to someone who was better than him. As Samuel mourned for Saul, God told him to go to Bethlehem to anoint a new king from Jesse’s house. When Jesse’s firstborn went in front of Samuel, he looked at his height and build. He immediately thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed.” Then in 1 Samuel 16:7, God replied, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NLT).

In the next chapter, King Saul and the Israelites are ready for battle with the Philistines when Goliath steps out. He challenged them to a one on one fight to determine the winner of the battle. Looking at his outward appearance and hearing his words, Israel became fearful. For forty days this happened until David showed up. Instead of seeing an intimidating, undefeatable giant, he saw victory through God’s strength. He offered to fight, but people laughed at him. When he went onto the battlefield, even Goliath laughed because he was looking at the outward appearance of things. David won the battle that day because he knew who God was and he stepped onto the battlefield risking everything and giving God the chance to show up.

1 John 4:4 reminders us, “The Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” I don’t know what giant you’re facing or how your situation looks. I do know that God is greater than it and more powerful. It’s time you quit looking on the outside of the situation and started looking inside of you. God does not give you fear. He gives you power (2 Timothy 1:7). If you’re feeling outmatched and overwhelmed with defeat on the horizon for certain, step aside for a minute, pray and remember who is within you. Through Christ Jesus we have victory and nothing we face is too big for Him. Your giant is small and helpless compared to Him. Quit looking on the outside and start looking on the inside.

Photo by Yash Raut on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,