Tag Archives: trust

August 8

Leave a reply

Jeremiah 51:1-64, 11:18-12:6

Who hasn’t felt like Jeremiah felt in chapter 12 at least once in their lifetime? You look around and see ungodly people being promoted over you, they have these perfect little families while your child is challenging you, they drink and smoke yet can run five miles a day while you struggle with a physical challenge.

“Why do the faithless live at ease?” you might ask with Jeremiah.

“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?” It’s like you finally get over one hurdle only to be slapped in the face with another, more difficult circumstance. And you just have no more energy to take one more step.

The other day I was reading another blog and the author wrote something that has stayed with me. She said, “Desperation is a great condition of heart for learning the faithfulness of God”. (Renee Beamer, sharingloveandtruth.org, “a battle of the wills”)

I don’t want to get into why there are some ungodly people who seem to get ahead and why some Christians struggle. But remember God isn’t interested so much  in the result of the race as he is in the race itself. 

What will you learn about God – about yourself as you meet the challenges of today? My prayer is that you will learn how utterly dependent you are on God and how wonderfully dependable he is!

August 4

2 Replies

2 Kings 24:5-6, 8-9; 2 Chronicles 36:8-9; 1 Chronicles 3:10-16; Daniel 3:1-30, Jeremiah 9:16-21, 10:17-25, 12:7-17, 19:14-20:18

When we were little girls our dad could make almost anything fun. Even bed time. We could be sitting around the TV and when 9:00 came around he would often say… Shadrach, Meshach, TO-BED-WE-GO! We would giggle, thinking he was the most clever Dad in the world. I never read this story in Daniel without thinking about Dad, and being thankful for having been his daughter.

In reality, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego loved their Father, too. They were convinced that God was who he said he was and they trusted him with every moment of every day. They spoke some of the most powerful words recorded in Scripture:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O KIng. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

How is your resolve to follow God? I know some people who are facing the fiery furnace of horrific physical challenges, some of emotional pain, others financial or relational. 

Before they ever felt the heat of the fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego determined to stay true to God. Then in the midst of the flames they were given the privilege of seeing Jesus right there with them. They kept walking. Jesus walked with them And God brought them out of their ordeal, whole.

I know. I know. God doesn’t promise that all of our problems will turn out like these three. Sometimes God’s provision is to welcome his children home. But I don’t think the lesson in this chapter of Daniel is about the result. I think it’s about the journey.

And in their journey, King Nebuchadnezzar saw Jesus walking with them in the furnace. Think about that one for a while and realize that God would like to reveal himself to others through your journey, too.

Do you trust God with today regardless of what it hands you? Are you determined to serve him even if you lose your job or your health or someone you love? I think what God wants us to see today is Jesus there in the furnace with the men. He wants us to be aware that he knows how hot it is because he is right there in your heart. 

You are not alone. If you know Jesus as your Savior he promises never to leave or forsake you no matter how hot things get. Trust him. And keep walking even if everything in you wants to give up. You may not see him, but Jesus is walking right beside you. 

And if you do, someone who needs him might recognize his presence in your life and find him as their Savior. 

Father, we give you today. May we trust you because you can be trusted. Thank you for promising to walk with us today, even in the midst of trouble. May we, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego determine to follow you whether or not the outcome is what we think we want. Help us to see you. And may others see you in our lives. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.</p>

July 20

Leave a reply

Isaiah 51-55

The 53rd chapter of Isaiah paints a picture of Jesus. Read it. Meditate on it. This is the One who loves you more than you can imagine. This is the One who lived and died to give you eternal life. It was God’s will to make Jesus the blood sacrifice for your sin – for mine.

What is our response to all that Jesus did on the cross? We can reject it, ignore it, or we can allow it to change our lives. 

You can accept Jesus and allow his blood to wash away your sin so that you can stand before our holy God clothed in righteousness not your own. You can be clean.

God wants us to come to him. He wants us to experience forgiveness and enjoy a relationship with him. Trust him.

Isaiah tells us God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts and his ways aren’t like our ways. God provides nourishment for hungry souls. And there is joy in following Him.

Dear Jesus, thank you for your willingness to go to the cross for me. You did what I could not. You paid for my sin. May I live today remembering what it cost you. May all that  do and say bring glory to you. Use me today. I trust you.

July 18

Leave a reply

Isaiah 43-46

“I am The Lord and there is no other.”

These words are repeated over and over in the passage we read today. In fact, in 45:19 God tells us he has not spoken in secret or told his people to try and find him. Here I am, God says. Mystery solved.

Here are some things he says of himself in these chapters:

He created the heavens.
He is God.
He fashioned and made the earth.
He will save his people with an everlasting salvation.
Before him every knee will bow.

When people say they are searching for God I wonder if they think God is playing a game of Hide and Seek with them. Do they think God dangles clues to his existence and only the wisest of us can figure it out?

If you are searching for God, for Truth, stop. Hear what God says to you today.

I am The Lord and there is no other.

The God we read about in the Bible is the only true God. He’s explained himself, drawn pictures, demonstrated his power in such a way that there can be no question.

If you don’t believe, that’s on you. God has laid it all out. It’s up to you to realize the Truth you seek is found right here. It’s up to you to accept it.

I pray for seekers today. May you realize that what you are looking for is right in front of you. It’s written in the pages of God’s Word, in God’s creation, and in the lives of those of us who know him.

He is God and there is no other. Period.

July 17

Leave a reply

Isaiah 40-42

Years ago my niece Kelly, who was about six or seven at the time, was spending a weekend with me. We got a phone call from her mom telling us our childhood pastor had had a heart attack and asked us to pray for him. I remember praying with Kelly that God would protect Rev. Allen and heal him, that God would give him strength.

When we were done praying, my niece asked me about Isaiah 40:31. Didn’t Rev. Allen hope in The Lord and didn’t God promise that those who do wouldn’t get weary or faint? She didn’t understand how our pastor could be sick.

I remember telling her that God doesn’t lie so that verse must not be talking about physical health, because believers get sick and die just like non-believers. We talked about spiritual strength, the strength to get us through the physical hard times. We talked about never giving up on what – on Who – we know is true.

I told her Paul talked about running a race. Not a physical race but a race doing God’s will. I said Isaiah promises that God will give us the ability to do it, to run that race and not grow weary.

Once again I want to encourage us to not waste time trying to figure out which verses are to be interpreted materially and which are spiritual. God is painting a picture of his plan for your heart, for your life here in 2013. And the picture is pretty incredible with him right in the middle.

Father, I thank you for your Word. I thank you for your promises. I thank you for your promise to give us what we need for the tasks you ask us to do. May we put our hope in you and not grow weary while we share you with those who need to hear the good news of Jesus.

July 14

2 Replies

Isaiah 33:1-37:13

There is a lot going on in these chapters of Isaiah. The story of Hezekiah is retold. The prophet stresses again that disobeying God leads to disaster.

But I want to share just two verses today. Simply put, this is my prayer for all of us today:

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high:
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
The fear of The Lord is the key to this treasure.
Isaiah 33:5&6

AMEN.

May Jesus be your sure foundation today.

July 12

2 Replies

Isaiah 10:5-12:6, 28:1-29

Remember that the people to whom Isaiah was writing these word pictures were not looking forward to Christ’s second coming. They were looking forward to the physical birth of Jesus, the babe in Bethlehem. It’s true that the material birth and the spiritual second coming have parallels. But we are wrong if we think Isaiah skipped over Jesus’ coming in the flesh and jumped right into 2013 America.

From the beginning of time God has used hardship and trials to draw people to himself. When the nation of Israel was blessed for their obedience, the surrounding nations noticed. The surrounding nations also noticed when Israel was punished for disobedience.

God wants us to know he has a reason for everything that happens. And his reason is the salvation of souls. Whether it’s war in ancient Israel, or the battle in our own souls, God wants to reach the lost and he will do whatever it takes.

Isaiah 28:23ff uses the word picture of a farmer. He needs to work the soil, break up the clumps, level the surface. But there wouldn’t be a crop if he just continued to plow. The farmer stops plowing and sows seed. But he doesn’t just keep throwing seeds on the ground. Eventually he stops sowing and allows the plants to grow.

Then comes the reaping. When the reaping is complete, comes the threshing, the grinding, the beating to prepare the crop to be used to it’s fullest. It’s only after all of this that the crop can be kneaded into loaves and baked for bread or boiled to make tasty stew.

God is telling us that he will plow, he’ll sow seed, he’ll reap and thresh, he’ll put us over a fire until we are that finished work. It’s not always comfortable to be a crop. But our Farmer will do what it takes to produce people he can use to feed people who hunger for him.

Are you experiencing some reaping? Some threshing? Are you in hot water? Remember that God is shaping you into something beautiful. Trust him with the process.

June 19

1 Reply

Psalms 49, 83, 91; 1 Kings 22:47-49; 2 Kings 1:2-18, 3:1-3; 2 Chronicles 20:35-37

Isn’t the definition of “insanity” repeating the same behavior expecting a different outcome? It was insane of Ahaziah to send a second company of soldiers, and then a third to Elijah after the first fifty were consumed by fire from heaven. 

Have you ever had God close a door you wanted to go through? Did you push against that door a second or third time expecting it to open? I would tell you that’s insane but then I would have to say I’m insane and, well, the jury is still out on that one.

I think it was Tim McGraw who sang a song about unanswered prayer. It basically said that those are sometimes God’s greatest gifts. I don’t think it’s so much our prayers are unanswered, though. That implies God isn’t paying attention. I think rather it’s God saying, “no”. Closing a door we’re asking him to open. But I agree with Tim that those often turn into the greatest blessings.

What does the writer of Psalm 91 say? God is faithful. He loves us. He can be trusted.

Why do doors close? Because God sees what we do not. Thanking God for closing doors isn’t easy. But we certainly have reason to be thankful that God cares enough to do for us what he knows is best.

Dear God, thank you for closing doors we think we need to go through. Thank you for loving us enough to want us to have the better thing, even when we are unable to see that at the moment. Help us to trust you more, not only with today but tomorrow, too. And thank you that we can trust you, that you are faithful. Find us grateful today.

June 18

3 Replies

I Kings 22:36-40; 2 Kings 1:1; 2 Chronicles 19:1-11, 20:1-30; Psalms 46, 47, 48

Judah was in trouble. Word reached King Jehoshaphat that a vast army was coming to destroy them. The king knew he and his army were no match for the enemy.

Have you ever felt like that? Like the circumstances of life are such that you feel you can’t face them and win? Have you ever looked ahead and thought, it’s too much?

We can all learn from Jehoshaphat’s example. The first thing he did was to proclaim a fast. Not a quick-start to a diet fast, but a down on your knees, heartfelt, honest time of prayer instead of eating. A time of seeking God, earnestly pouring themselves out before God.

Then the people gathered together. Listen to some of what Jehoshaphat prayed that day:

For we have no power to face this vast army (insert whatever it is you are facing) that is attacking us. We don’t know what to do, BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. (2 Chronicles 20:12)

The third thing they did was to set out for battle. Have faith in The Lord, Jehoshaphat says. Then he told them to praise God. Before the battle, during the battle. Praise God.

Verse 22 says, “As they began to sing and praise, The Lord set ambushes against the (enemy)”.

So here’s what I think is an example of how to face life’s troubles. 1) Seek God, fast if you can, 2) Pray. Admit your helplessness and lay it all at God’s feet, 3) Get up and get going. 4) Praise God before, during, and after. Praise God.

Be sure to read Psalm 46 today. Especially if you feel you are in a situation with no hope. I’m telling you there is hope. God is our refuge and strength in all circumstances. Seek him. Trust him. Praise him.

Father in heaven, thank you once again for your Word that speaks to hearts today. Some of us are going through things in this life that are overwhelming and we just don’t know what to do. May we keep our eyes on you. May we seek you, trust you, and praise you in all things. Remind us that you are our strength, our refuge. Be exalted, Lord.

May 30

Leave a reply

Proverbs 11-13

The themes for these three chapters are honesty and success. Each verse contains a proverb that could be put on any sign of any Bible-believing church and would give passers-by something to consider.

The thing is many of these proverbs sound like good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad. Remember that the Old Testament is a physical, material example of the Spiritual truths we live after the cross. If we get caught up with a material interpretation of the proverbs we might find ourselves thinking God lied to Solomon. Because it’s obvious that there are some pretty wealthy and ungodly people around and there are some dear brothers and sisters in Christ who are struggling to make ends meet.

What is God saying to us through these proverbs? 11:4 says “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath but righteousness delivers from death”. We know that speaks of the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise”.

Chapters 12 & 13 speak of success. Is it material success we read about? Some of the principles apply, certainly. But real success stems from a right relationship with God who blesses the obedient. There are wealthy Christians and there are Christians in poverty. There are rich non-Christians and poor people who don’t know Christ. The difference is not the dollar amount. It’s Jesus. It’s peace and hope and love and life and forgiveness. It’s the Presence of God in our lives. 

No earthly success can compare. We are rich indeed.

Father, help your people to recognize that having you in our lives is better than any kind of income. I know it doesn’t pay the bills. But I thank you that you are faithful to provide what we need. It might not always be what we want. But when we offer you ourselves with no strings attached, you provide perfectly. Guide us. Show us what you would have us do to pay those bills that keep coming. Help parents who struggle to feed their children. And put a desire in the hearts of those who have enough, to reach out to someone who needs a helping hand. Let us be the answer to their prayer today.