How to Trust God in the Hard Times

Does it ever seem like you’re just not sure you can trust God? Have you ever asked Him: “Why aren’t you helping with this? Why didn’t you save her?”

Sometimes it seems that God just isn’t that interested in our lives. But it is especially important during times of distress to lean on the everlasting arms. The truth—though hard to see sometimes—is that we can trust God. The bible makes this abundantly clear through its narrative and in various encouraging verses. All the times God has answered your prayers also make it clear that you can trust Him.

From whence comes our help? It comes from the Lord (Psalms 121:2).  The entire 121st Psalm is filled with encouraging words and statements, all summed up like this: The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and even forevermore.’

A hard truth all Christians must accept at some point in their journeys of faith, is that God’s will is going to be carried out, in some way or another, and His will is often contrary to our will. Sometimes God calls a servant home. Sometimes He sends suffering and illness and injury. At other times He seems silent and uninterested. But always He is with us, working His will and design, and always His design is for our good (1 Timothy 2:4).

Do you trust Him? Really think about this question. Ponder it, meditate on it. Are you trusting that God knows what He is doing in your life?

It is miraculously liberating to truly trust in the Lord our God. To know that (despite the heartaches and struggles you or your loved ones may be going through) God is on the throne and in control, is to trust Him and be at peace with your creator.

Colossians 3:15 says: ‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’

Oh what a beautiful guide to life! Oh what perfection, to trust the Lord and let His word guide you and keep you, and to live in harmony with others, teaching and rejoicing with them.

How do we do this? How do you trust the Lord when it seems as if He is not listening?

In a world where emphasis is placed on conformity, and where grumbling and complaining are popular media hobbies, it is very easy to fall victim to doubt. It is therefore vital to our faith that we turn to scripture for the answers. Romans 12:2 offers this guidance: ‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what it that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’

This means we are to constantly refresh our knowledge of God’s word, to renew our minds, so that we become transformed from creatures of the flesh into servants of our heavenly Father, guided by the Spirit. This can all be accomplished by grace. We are called to think soberly, to not think too highly of ourselves.

When you spend your time seeking God’s will, instead of worrying and wondering why He isn’t performing your will, you will find yourself in line with God’s design, and His peace will settle on you—and that is a mighty victory.

‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust’ (Psalm 91:1).

So, the next time you happen to take a quarter out of your pocket and read those words IN GOD WE TRUST, take comfort in knowing that America is still a nation that trusts in God, and know that in trusting Him, you can find a peace that passes all understanding--and this will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

The Miracle: Jesus Chooses to be Born

Every year around this time, I like to take a breather out of the day to sit down and meditate on the real Christmas story; you know, the one found in Luke chapter 2.

The King James Version is the most beautiful. Those 17^th century translators truly understood not only the bible, but the beauty of words and how to blend the two without compromising Scripture.

The reading of Luke reminds us that a very long time ago, the Son of God chose (in obedience) to come to earth as a boy child. We see the love in this almost instantly. But rarely do we reflect on the majesty of His sacrifice and on the astonishing love and bravery He displayed in electing to be born a human.

From the beginning Jesus knew where His choice would take Him.

He knew that the apostles—so close and devoted, His great friends and followers—would all abandon Him at Golgotha (Matthew 26:56). He knew this, and still He came to proclaim the love of God, to seek and to save the lost sheep.

What incredible courage. What amazing love, that you my King should die for me.

As you go about your business, shopping and celebrating, take a moment every now and then this December to reflect on the great devotion Jesus showed in coming here. Imagine what went through His mind as He stood teaching the apostles, knowing that, despite their claims of devotion to Him, they would all betray him in those dark hours.

And still He chose to die for them—and for us.

Think of your closest friend. ('There is a friend who is closer than a brother' Proverbs 18:24). Someone utterly devoted to you, who professes such love that he would rather die than watch you die. Imagine now that you know he will one day turn his back on you. Could you still love him?

Our Savior did. We all turn our backs to Him at some point or another, and yet Jesus continues to offer His hand to us. We need only take it, and He will lift us out of our miseries and forgive us our betrayal.

‘What child is this, who laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping? This, this is Christ the king, whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Good Christians fear, for sinners here the silent Word is pleading. Nails, spears shall pierce Him through, the cross he bore for me, for you.’

Here is a link to a blog with a similar post, only this one is interestingly written from a writer’s perspective. It examines the choice of Jesus and the miracle of this choice.

Remember the Christ-child this season, and the sacrifice of our God. These are good tidings of great joy, and we have much to be grateful for during this wonderful time of year!

How to Bear Your Cross and Follow Jesus

‘And he who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it,’ (Matthew 10:38-39).

In these days of self-reliance, it is vitally important that we believers remember the words of our Savior. Since the message of the Cross is rarely taught in church anymore, we must decide to turn to Scripture to discover the meaning of ‘taking up our cross.’

In His Steps

 

Jesus’ death on the cross was only part of His bearing of His cross. The journey to Golgotha was the other part. He lived under the shadow of death. He bore the weight of His cross, knowing it would save sinners.

While such a sacrifice on our part would not do what His sacrifice did and does every day, we can choose to bear our cross in the way God has called each of us to bear it. By obeying our Lord, we show that we love Him. This is evidence of our salvation, not a path to earning blessings.

 

God blesses those who call on His name. He wants to bless His sheep. In taking up our cross and bearing it, without grumbling or complaining (Philippians 2:14), we find ourselves walking in grace—by the grace of our Savior—and God will bless us. But remember, we are not activating God here. We are following His design and will for our lives. Every blessing that comes our way is not earned but graciously given.

It is important to remember that. It is also important to realize that sometimes, when we expect a blessing, a trial comes our way instead. This does not mean God does not accept you. It might only mean that He wants to try our faith through fiery trials so that we might grow in our knowledge of God, developing a stronger faith and relationship with the Lord (1 Peter 4:12-13).

So how do we bear our cross?

In Luke 9:23-25 Jesus says this: ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but is himself lost?’

Steps to bearing your cross:

·         Deny yourself (release your hold on your desires in order to follow God’s design for your life)

·         Obey God’s word

·         Walk in the steps of Jesus (loving our neighbors, speaking peace, etc)

·         Know that in following Him, we find the true meaning of our lives. A sense of purpose is greatest  in those who seek God’s purpose

See also Mathew 16:24 and Mark 8:34

It won’t be easy. Following Jesus is straightforward and spiritually rewarding, but rarely easy. But when you find your life in line with His teachings, when your will finally stop clashing with God’s will, then you will discover a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philipians 4:7).

It is hard, denying your desires, yourself. But Ecclesiastes advises us to enjoy the journey, and Deuteronomy 28 (among numerous places in Scripture) promises that God will bless us. This is not a blanket blessing, where God vows to give you everything you want no matter what.

 

New Thought ideology is very pleasant to contemplate, but it just doesn’t jive with Scripture. Deuteronomy 29:13-15 places restrictions, conditional points on the promise of blessings. We are not to veer to the right hand or to the left; we must be careful to observe all of God’s commands (submitting to His will and not seeking our own desires).

What is God calling you to do? What is He calling you to give up? Pride? Time in service to others? Money? Think and pray on it. Ask God to guide you in His will so that you might take up your cross and follow Him.

The Power to Save Resides in Christ Alone

In an age where empowerment and self-reliance are touted as supreme goals, virtues to be praised, it is vital that we recognize where our salvation truly comes from.

The power to save resides in Christ alone. The bible makes this single truth crystal clear, again and again.

‘For by grace have you been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

That verse alone should be enough to convince us that we cannot save ourselves. We do not have the power to save ourselves. If we did, there would have been no reason for the sacrificial death and resurrection of our Savior. The necessity of His coming to earth was the most blatant display of our powerlessness, and of our need to be saved by One greater than ourselves.

Unfortunately there is much guff out there trying to diminish the greatness of His work in order to exalt human power. But Scripture, as always, illuminates the truth:

‘—for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).

‘—and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed unto His death’ (Philippians 3:9-10).

 Notice there that righteousness is not found in us apart from Christ. Also note that the bible emphasizes God’s righteousness, God’s resurrection, God’s sufferings—not ours. All that has been done and is done toward saving us comes through our Heavenly Father and the saving grace of His Son.

Our lives are brightened every day by the hope we find in our Savior. It is, truly, a miracle that He came to save us. Wisdom can be found in taking a precious moment out of each day to sit and be silent before our Lord, to meditate on His grace and to praise His name for coming to save lost souls. The message of the cross has not changed. It does not need updating or translating into modern social media rhetoric. It is the single greatest expression of love in history, and we owe everyday of our lives to His miraculous sacrifice. Amen.

Putting God First in Your Life - Through Worship

You never hear anyone say: ‘I really need to catch up on my worship.’ And that is a shame.

We place much emphasis on our busy lives, and yet how much time do we give to the One who gave all to us? Do you try to squeeze God into your schedule? God needs to come first in your life. FIRST.

Nothing in this world should be more important to you than your relationship with God. When you work on that, when you make time every day and night to worship Him, to read and study and live Scripture, and when you show you love Him by obeying His word, then every other relationship in your life will be guided by the light of your Creator.

By putting God first, you will know how to properly (biblically) love your spouse. Your raising of your children will be performed with a righteous, loving, and firm hand. You will respond to the unbelievers in your life with Scriptural wisdom. The bible tells us to think on the things of God, of heaven, and on what is good. When our thoughts dwell constantly on the earthly and on yourself, you fall prey to Satan’s devices. So arm yourself with God’s word, and spend more time with Him.

Take a deep, slow breath, and then search the scriptures and draw near to God. See what truly matters in this world, and in the next.

Seek guidance in: Colossians 3:2-10. 1 Timothy 4:6. 1 Chronicles 16:29. Psalm 95:6. Matthew 4:10. John 4:24. Psalm 29:2 – Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Matthew 10:34-38 tells us that we must love Him above all else. These are hard words by our Savior. But He often uses shocking language to drive home His point. Here that point is that He must come first, for it is only through this order that we can properly view others and ourselves. We will learn to love our neighbor and properly treat our family, when we put God first. For by doing this, we learn to humble ourselves and exalt Him.

This is the opposite of modern teaching, where we are taught to exalt ourselves, and where God comes into play later, if there’s time left in the day. The bible had it right 2 millennia ago, and it has it right today. Don’t let backward modern feel-good philosophies confuse your Christianity. God first.

God's Mighty Power and Man's Place in the World

The Bible praises God's power. Psalm 145:4-7:

'One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.'


Modern culture praises man's power. 

 Best-selling 'inspirational Christian' books are filled with blasphemous quotes and statements. Their authors make bold claims that sound inspiring but in reality are straight up blasphemies. Just read this declaration by America's #1 pastor: 'I feel like God has gifted me to take Bible principles and make them practical'

'And make them practical'? This clearly implies that he thinks the Bible is no longer practical. Most of our teachers today are living under the heretical delusion that the Bible needs to be 'updated' to match the times. In fact, the times should be regulated by scripture. Read those 4 verses up top again, and then meditate on them. They praise God, they glorify His name. 

That is how it should be, how God designed it to be. We praise Him, not ourselves.

With the immensely popular (and multi-billion dollar) self-improvement movement creeping into ever facet of life, and now into our churches, it is vital that we true believers turn to the Word and recall the proper viewpoint of a believer. Self-confidence is good. But faith in God is great, because it is right and proper and biblical and CHRISTIAN to praise God instead of praising man.

New Thought Blasphemy

New Thought replaces prayer with positive thinking. So, instead of turning to God, we are taught to trust in ourselves, or, at best, some vague power called the Universe. Look up Romans 2:6-8. Psalms 9:19-20, which finishes with this powerful eye-opener: 'Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.'

It is God who has the real power, and the whole world is subject to His love--and wrath.