Tag Archives: trust

March 22

Deuteronomy 29-31

So if God knew the Jews would take the Promised Land, enjoy God’s blessings, then get comfortable and turn to other gods… why bother? I could ask the same thing about us. Because, isn’t it true that the more we are blessed, the better our life is going, the easier it is to pull away from God without even realizing it? Oh, when hardships come we are quick to pray. But we, like the nation of Israel, can neglect our relationship with God when one sin enters our hearts, then another and another.

So why doesn’t God just call it quits? Israel’s choices… and mine… serve to show the world who God is. And God is busy working in the hearts of unbelievers to come to Him. God doesn’t call it quits because people are still being saved.

Deuteronomy 30:19&20 spoke to me this morning. God has set before us life and death, blessings and curses. He asks us to choose life. He wants us to love Him and obey Him so He can bless us.

When Joshua was appointed leader of Israel God said this to him, “Be strong and courageous for… I myself will be with you.”

God, thank you for your promise to go with us and bless us. Forgive us when we get too comfortable and take you for granted. May we choose to obey you today. May we choose life.

February 6

Exodus 13-15

As we read together the account of Israel’s time in the desert we will see times of great victories and times of great disobedience. Remember Israel was chosen by God… not because He loved them better than He loved other people. He didn’t choose them to bless them for their sakes. He chose them to reveal Himself to the world. 13:4 is one of the many times God explains why He is working through Israel. “I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know I am the Lord.”

So the Jews walked across a dry Red Sea but the same waters drowned the Egyptians. Not a Jew was lost and not an Egyptian survived. And God could not be denied.

After that amazing rescue the Israelites had no trouble believing God was who he said he was. 14:31 says they feared the Lord and put their trust in Moses. They believed God was on their side and would get them to the Promised Land.

Three days later… seventy-two short hours later those same Israelites are grumbling against Moses because they were thirsty. They couldn’t find any drinking water in the desert. Were they really that fickle that one day they trust God and the next they don’t?

Sometimes it’s easier to trust God with the big picture than it is to trust Him with the details. As Christians we trust Him with our eternal home, we believe He is faithful to the end.

Yet we find ourselves worrying about the every day things. Not enough money to pay bills. A frightening medical diagnosis. A struggling relationship. A project at work or school.

We trust God with our future but can we trust Him with the day… or the minute? God provided water for the Israelites that day in the desert. And He promises to supply us with all our needs according to His riches.

There’s a song I like that says… when you come to the place where I’m all you have, You’ll find I’m all you need.

So can God be trusted with what you are going through today? Absolutely. He wants you to know He can be trusted. Remember, a sparrow doesn’t fall to the ground without God seeing it happen. And you are so much more precious to him than a sparrow.

Father, thank you for supplying water for the Israelites in the desert and showing us your great care for your people. Help us to give you what is worrying us right now, this minute. Help us to trust you with today.

January 21

Genesis 22-24

It amazes me how often people traveled during Bible times. God tells Abraham to take his family and possessions and go somewhere and Abraham goes. God says to go somewhere else and Abraham goes somewhere else. And with him go servants, livestock, gold and silver, tents and food. Abraham tells his servant to go to Nahor to find a wife for Isaac and the servant eagerly goes to Nahor. Rebekah is invited to go back to Canaan and she goes.

And no one had four wheel drive and air conditioning.

I am once again convicted. How many times has God laid a neighbor or friend on my heart and I do nothing about it? I can’t go next door or across town to share Jesus with someone and Abraham traveled hundreds of miles in obedience. I can’t pick up the phone but Rebekah could get on a stranger’s camel and travel to a distant land.

What would God have me do today? Where does he want me to go? In which direction is he leading my life? May I be as obedient as Abraham, as eager as Abraham’s servant, and as trusting as Rebekah.