Tag Archives: trusting God

May 28, 2020 · 5:30 AM

Today’s Doubting Thomas

Most of us know the story of Thomas after Jesus was resurrected. Other disciples had seen Jesus but he had not. They kept telling him that Jesus was alive, but he knew what he had seen. He watched as they beat Jesus with a whip that had 9 strands on it with chunks of glass. He saw them put the crown of thorns on His head and then nailed His hands and feet to that splintered wood. He was even there when the soldier took a sword and rammed it through the ribs of Jesus. He heard Jesus say, “It is finished.” You couldn’t tell him that Jesus was alive after that.

Can you blame him? It’s easy to sit here two millenniums away and call him “Doubting Thomas”. Would you or I have been any different? Are we any different now? Thomas allowed circumstances to dictate his faith. He had also walked with Jesus and watched as He healed people with leprosy, issues of blood, lameness, mutism, deafness and all kinds of incurable diseases. He even watched on a few occasions as Jesus raised people from the dead. Yet here he was listening to others as they said they had seen Jesus.

Many of us have walked with Jesus too. We have seen what He has done in our lives, can point to healings that we’ve witnessed and watched as The Lord touches the hearts of the worst among us yet we still don’t fully trust in Him. We allow circumstances and things going on in this world to rob us of our joy, hope and faith. Our faith rises and falls on what happens around us. It is far too easy to forget what God has done in the past when there is a mountain ahead.

It’s no wonder that Thomas uttered the famous words, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side.” We do the same. We just say it different. “God if you’re really there and if you can really hear me, I need you to do…” It’s a good thing that God is patient with us. When Jesus saw Thomas, He didn’t mock him or ask why he didn’t believe. Instead, Jesus walked up to Thomas and gently said, “Thomas, put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” (John 20:27 NLT)

I think that’s what Jesus would say to us today. Don’t be faithless any longer. Don’t allow what you’re going through cause you to forget what He’s done for you in the past. He is patient and kind. Slow to anger. He is talking to you this morning and is inviting you to trust Him. He is in control even when it doesn’t feel like. He sees you where you are and knows your fear. He is deeply concerned about you and wants to show Himself to you and to provide the opportunity for you to touch Him. Thomas had to reach out and touch Him to believe again. Will you reach out today to touch Him in order to believe again?

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

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May 11, 2020 · 5:38 AM

Finding Strength In The Lord

One of the Bible Verses I memorized as a kid in song form has helped me through some pretty tough times. If you grew up in church, you probably know this little song too from Nehemiah 8:10. In some of my most painful, sleepless nights, I’ve laid in bed singing, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” When I’m too mentally tired to fight any more or begin to feel defeated or overwhelmed, I sing this little song to remind myself that I can’t win the battles I’m facing in my own strength. I need God’s help and His strength in the toughest of times. I can have tears streaming down my face and begin to look for God’s joy that’s not circumstantial. He gives strength in our weakness and helps us to rise up like eagles, to keep running and not grow weary and to walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

Another promise to us who find our strength in the Lord comes from Psalm 84:5-6. It says, “How enriched are they who find their strength in the Lord; within their hearts are the highways of holiness! Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain. He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring” (TPT). Each of go through the valley of tears in our lives. Some of us spend longer times in that valley, but we’re encouraged to keep looking to the Lord for strength during these times to stay renewed and to keep us moving forward, especially when we feel we have nothing left in the tank. God wants us to dig deeper inside to find those pools of refreshing through our pain and sorrow.

The brook of blessing refreshes us in the valley. It gives us hope that God still sees us and hasn’t forgotten us in those dark times. He reminds us that we are His and He’s giving us the chance to experience the depths of grace most people will never know because they only see the pain. But we have a peace that passes understanding knowing that our trials produce endurance, character, and a hope that will not leave us disappointed (Romans 5:3-5). We also know that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), but we have to look past the pain to see that He is doing something in us that can’t be done any other way. He’s showing us we are capable of enduring anything when we find our strength, hope and joy in Him.

Photo by Benjamín Gremler on Unsplash

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May 7, 2020 · 5:45 AM

Greater Than Worry

Worry. It’s something that everyone deals with. Whether it’s about paying the bills this month, will we find true love, the end result of an illness, or any number of things, we all worry. I love that dictionary.com defines worry as, “To torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts.” Worry is nothing more than self torture. It’s allowing our mind to put us into a debilitating prison where our mind thinks of every negative thing that may happen in a situation. Worry only looks at the negative outcomes.

If you’re a worrier, take heart. God wants to free you from that torment. 1 John 3:20 says, “God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves” (MSG). Not only does He know you better than you know yourself, He knows your future. There is nothing that is going to happen to you that He doesn’t already know about. I learned several years ago to trust that worrying didn’t solve the problem or change the future, so I began to hand my worry to Him.

I Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (NLT). I admit it was difficult to learn to hand them off to Him because I didn’t know what to think about or do since all I knew was worry. But that’s where Philippians 4:6 came into play. It says, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (MSG).

Worry never changed the outcome of anything, but prayer has! Quit tormenting yourself and start praying to God about it. Release it to Him because He is greater than your worry and your problems. He wants to trade peace for your suffering. He wants to give you a lighter burden, but you have to be willing to exchange worry for it and leave it with Him. God cares deeply about you and the things you’re going through. Trust Him to do what’s best and give Him your worry. Give no place in your mind to anxiety and debilitating worry. Be free.

Photo by Toimetaja tõlkebüroo on Unsplash

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

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May 1, 2020 · 5:46 AM

Hope In Hardship

Going through hardships is part of life, but lately it seems a higher percentage of people are going through them. Financial hardship is one so many of us are facing as the world faces record unemployment. I’ve been to visit several people in recent weeks delivering food and money through our church’s benevolence ministry. I’ve seen the financial hardships up close. As financial hardships increase, so do relational hardships. Couples are struggling being cooped up together 24 hours a day with little to no money and stress is high. Single people face relational hardships and are feeling alone now more than ever.

One thing I’ve learned about hardships in my own life is that they give God an opportunity to shine as we become less independent and more dependent on Him. They produce in us faith that can’t be produced in good times. Also, hardships only last a season. After that, God is able to restore us as we have learned to trust Him more. He has not forgotten you or abandoned you in your hardship. He’s giving you a greater opportunity to experience a depth of His grace as of yet unknown to you. Trust in His strength during your time of hardship and in the sufficiency of His grace. He has never failed you, and He’s not going to start now.

Here are some Bible verses on hardship.

1. You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.

Psalms 71:20-21 NLT

2. Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, But the LORD rescues him from them all.

Psalms 34:19 AMP

3. And not only this, but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance; and endurance, proven character (spiritual maturity); and proven character, hope and confident assurance [of eternal salvation]. Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:3-5 AMP

4. You find God’s favor by deciding to please God even when you endure hardships because of unjust suffering.

1 Peter 2:19 TPT

5. Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God’s servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties.”

2 Corinthians 6:4 GNT

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April 27, 2020 · 5:58 AM

Where’s Your Trust?

Have you ever been in trouble or had a personal crisis? What’s the first thing you did? Sometimes we look at the situation and feel like it’s hopeless. Whenever I feel this way, I get stressed out and my mind goes into overdrive trying to find a solution. I can’t sleep because getting out of it is all I can think about. Other times, I feel like I need more information to help me. If I consume enough news or articles on the subject, I think I can make myself feel better by knowing more about it. Other times, I think back to how I got in the situation, and I think, “If only I had done this or that, I wouldn’t be here right now.” I can get lost replying my choices trying to think my way out of it. What I forget to do at times is to stop and pray about it.

When I was a kid, praise and worship songs at church were Bible verses put to music. One of those songs I remember was Psalm 20:7. We would sing, “Some trust in horses and some in chariots, but we will trust in the name of our God.” It’s a reminder of who to trust in times of trouble. In battle, people would look at the number of chariots they had or horses to feel confident in victory. Their hope was in their own Abi,ties and things they had purchased or built. David reminded himself, and the nation, that while those things look great from an earthy perspective to get you out of trouble, the battle is the Lord’s. He is the one who gives victory and makes rivers in the desert.

Psalm 50:15 says, “Honor me by trusting in me in your day of trouble. Cry aloud to me, and I will be there to rescue you” (TPT). Before this verse, God reminds us how great He is. Then He says this so that we will not trust in our own strength or abilities in times of trouble. God is the only one who is able to rescue us out of impossible situations and bring us victory when things look like certain defeat is on the horizon. Honor Him by trusting in Him, remembering that the battle is the Lord’s. Call out to Him in prayer, day and night rather than stressing out about the situation. God is a God who rescues and makes everything work together for your good. We may have to endure seasons of trouble, stress or impossible looking situations, but don’t let those things take your eyes off of God. He is at work. Put your hope and trust in Him.

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April 21, 2020 · 5:54 AM

God’s Availability

Have you seen the meme that says, “You’re being held at gunpoint. The person holding the gun lets you make one phone call. If they answer, you die. Who are you calling?” You can probably think of a couple of people you know who never answer their phone. I know I can. What if it were reversed and they had to answer or you would die? Know anyone that always answers when you call? I fit into that category. I even answer the phone when the caller ID says, “Potential Spam”. I like to be available if someone needs something, so I answer.

Several years ago, my mom passed away after a year long battle with breast cancer. We prayed and fasted and had faith like you’re supposed to. We had purchased a dress for her to wear for Easter believing that she would rise up by then and be able to go to church. She didn’t get healed, and even died less than a week after Easter. To be honest, I got upset with God thinking He wasn’t available to answer our prayers. I decided I wouldn’t call on Him for anything again, but we could stay in contact, as silly as that seems. That was the case for a couple of years until I needed Him again. I knew that He would be available despite my tantrum and I began to go to Him again when I needed help.

Psalm 46:1 says, “God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you” (TPT). While I can point to individual times in my life where I wish God would have answered my prayers the way I wanted Him to, the consistency of His character across millennia is that He is a safe place for us to run to in times of need. He does answer when we need Him most, and He does not abandon us. He is available for us to call out to despite the things we’ve done because when He looks at us, He’s not looking for our goodness in order to be available. His relationship with us is not about what you’ve done or your works. You are His child, redeemed by the death of His son, and like a good father, He’s there for you when you need Him.

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April 20, 2020 · 5:52 AM

Be Patient And Wait

One of the hardest things for me to do is to be patient while God is at work on my behalf. I live by the motto, “Work like it depends on you. Pray like it depends on God.” But there are seasons, like the one I’m in now, where God is at work and He says, “Be still and be patient.” Everything in me wants to jump up and do something as if God needs my help. There’s a line in “Way Maker” that resonates with me right now. It says, “Even when I don’t see it, you’re working. Even when I don’t feel it, you’re working. You never stop working.” Faith is truly about trusting that God is at work when you don’t see it or feel it. It’s about being patient in the waiting knowing that God is going to bless you according to a His goodness and not your good works.

I don’t think Abraham was much different. God was at work, but he couldn’t see it. God had promised him a son when he was 75. Ten years later, there still wasn’t a son and he was getting older. He decided to help God out and married Hagar, his wife’s handmaiden. But when she got pregnant, God let him know that wasn’t what He promised. Sarah would give him a son, but Abraham had to wait another 15 years. That’s a long time to be patient and to trust God to fulfill a promise, especially when your physical condition, or things around you, are telling you the possibility is going down daily. Yet God still requires us to have faith and to be patient.

Psalm 37:7 says, “Be patient and wait for the Lord to act” (GNT). I understand that having patience and waiting on God is tough. It can feel like you’re missing the boat and that you need to do something to make it happen. Learn from Abraham though. If God has promised it, trust Him to fulfill it in His timing, not yours. Even when you see the window of opportunity closing, trust anyway. God does not need our help. He is able. If He can speak the universe into existence, surely He can say the word and turn your impossible situation around. If He can give Abraham a son at 100 years old, He can make a way where there seems to be no way. It’s in the waiting that our faith is stretched and we are prepared for greater things. Don’t give up too early or try to jump in and help. Be patient and wait on the Lord.

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April 17, 2020 · 5:44 AM

Continuous Praise

A friend of mine and I have been praying for each other’s job situation for a while now. We send verses to each other, specifics of what we’re praying or asking for and encouraging messages. In the physical realm, nothing seems to be changing, but we know God is at work. The other day he said, “I think we need to praise God for what He is going to do on our behalf.” It triggered something in me. All this time, I have been hyper focused on my need and seeking God daily, that I’ve forgotten to thank and praise Him ahead of time for what He’s going to do. I’ve been praising Him for the daily miracles I see, but haven’t been looking ahead to where God is leading.

We get so caught up in our requests that we fail to spend time praising God for the work He’s doing behind the scenes. Praise is an important part of our victory. The Israelites always sent their praise team out first before any battle because of its powerful effect. God truly does work all things out for your good (Romans 8:28), but there’s always that period of time where you begin to wonder what good can come from your current situation. Especially in those times, it’s important to praise God for what He’s going to do. The Psalms over and over remind us to praise God no matter what and at all times. If you’ve been seeking God for a breakthrough, take some time to add praise to your petitions.

Here are some Bible verses on praising God.

1. Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Psalms 106:1 NLT

2. Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

Psalms 150:6 AMP

3. I trust in the Lord. And I praise him! I trust in the Word of God. And I praise him!

Psalms 56:10 TPT

4. Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord.

Hebrews 13:15 GNT

5. I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

Psalms 34:1 NLT

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April 16, 2020 · 5:30 AM

Responding To Distress

If you were to take a piece of pottery and a stick of butter into the oven, you’d get two different results. While the pottery would harden, the butter would melt. Even though it’s the same fire, things react differently to it. The same goes for us. Each one of us go through the fires of tribulations and troubles here on earth. Not one of us are exempt from it, but we each respond differently. Even though we have the same physical properties, those fires produce different results in us.

For me, those fires nearly wiped me off the earth. They destroyed everything in my life and left me with nothing. My response was to shut down and check out. I thought, “If I don’t have anything left to live for, why should I live?” Other people who have been through similar fires used it as fuel to get stronger, tougher, and better. They didn’t let it get the best of them. I don’t know that there’s a right or wrong way when it comes to how you respond to distress in your life except when it comes to your spiritual life.

Fires, tribulation and distress should push us closer to God, not away. Those are really the only two options spiritually. You can run to God and become totally dependent on Him or you can turn your back on Him wondering why He let this happen to you. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Distress that drives us to God does that (produces all gain, not loss). It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets” (MSG).

In my life, the distress pushed me toward God in the end. It wasn’t until I had nothing left that I told God, “I give up. I can’t do this without you.” That moment sparked a change. Life didn’t get better immediately and not everything was restored right then. It took years, but God has been faithful to me and I don’t regret the pain I went through because it caused me to run back to God. I started off like that butter in the fire, but ended up like the pottery. You can too. Whatever you’re going through, it’s not too late to let it push you to God instead of away.

Photo by Gene Chauvin

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

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April 15, 2020 · 5:55 AM

God’s Great Faithfulness

One of the great hymns of the past is called “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. The chorus says, “Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed thy hand hatch provided – Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!” It’s taken from Lamentations 3:23, and it has been on repeat in my head for a while now. It’s both a declaration and a reminder to me that each day God continues to be faithful to me and you despite our circumstances. The financial markets of the world have come crashing down, along with our 401k’s and IRA’s, but God is still faithful to us and to His promises. He continues to show His faithfulness no matter what is going on.

Psalm 31:7 says, “In mercy you have seen my troubles and you have cared for me; even during this crisis in my soul I will be radiant with joy, filled with praise for your love and mercy” (TPT). These times we’re living in are forcing us to de use where we are placing our trust. The things we have tried to build with our hands and skill are proving to be unreliable. The troubles each of us are facing during this time are real, yet God has continued to care for us. He remains our hope and our rock. When the floods of unemployment, loss of income, sickness, and change come, it’s the lives that are built on the rock of God’s Word that will last. These floods force us to decide if we really believe what we’ve been saying we believe.

You and I can have joy during uncertain times because joy is not dependent on our circumstances. Joy comes from a heart that trusts God and it produces praise no matter what things look like. Because God cares for us more than the birds of the air and the flowers in the field, we do not have to worry (Matthew 6:25-30). We can let our praises shape our cares into prayers (Philippians 4:6). Praising God during times like these remind us of His faithfulness and keep our eyes on Him. Each day gives Him the opportunity to provide for us, to show us His mercy and to prove His faithfulness. If we will take time to look for those mercies and His faithfulness, we will see them. He will provide all you need even during a crisis because His faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 117:2).

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