Category: Trust

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The Questions

If you’ve ever started out on a major adventure you know there are questions, lots of questions.

The circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ were no different. The next couple of days we are going to look at a few of those.

Our first question comes from Zacharias, the father of the baby who would grow to be John the Baptist.

It was a normal day at work in the Temple. He was going about his priestly duties of burning incense with the daily offerings when an angel appeared to him.

“ Zacharias was doing his work as a religious leader for God. 9 The religious leaders were given certain kinds of work to do. Zacharias was chosen to go to the house of God to burn special perfume. ” Luke 1:8-9 NLV

Just another regular day at the office until the angel appeared.

“Zacharias, do not be afraid. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a son. You are to name him John. 14 You will be glad and have much joy.” vs 13-14 NLV

Since both he and Elizabeth were very old, (his words not mine), and had never conceived, Zacharias questioned the angel.

“ Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I know this for sure? I am old and my wife is old also.” 19 The angel said to him, “My name is Gabriel. I stand near God. He sent me to talk to you and bring to you this good news. 20 See! You will not be able to talk until the day this happens. It is because you did not believe my words. What I said will happen at the right time.” vs 18-20 NLV

It wasn’t the question that bothered the angel, it was the unbelief that the question was wrapped in. Here was a priest, a man of God, who knew the prophesy that Isaiah spoke over 400 years before about a man who would precede the Messiah, preparing the way for the Messiah’s ministry and he doubted God’s messenger.

Please note that the doubting, the unbelief, didn’t stop the message or the miracle that the angel came to deliver. God sent Gabriel to deliver good news and he did.

Zacharias had to watch the miracle unfold in silence. Do you think that was too harsh a consequence for him to endure? King Solomon said this about the words we speak.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21 NLV

God’s word is powerful. It changes circumstances, brings miracles, creates worlds, and gives new life. Zacharias got to be part of the adventure that was unfolding, he just needed to experience it in silence.

God doesn’t mind our questions, in fact, He tells us to come to Him and ask. But when we ask, we should always ask in faith.

Tomorrow we will look at a similar question to the one Zacharias asked but it was asked in faith.

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Loaded Up

Every morning starts the same – coffee brewing, prayer and Bible reading. Somedays little distractions shorten the time frame but that has been my morning meditation for years. Never routine – always a blessing.

Here we are just a few days before Thanksgiving and other than the grocery store commercials not a lot is being said about this day that was set aside for giving thanks.

Our hearts should be overflowing with thankfulness.

God has been gracious and kind. There may have been disappointments and even heart aches in the last year, but God remains faithful and trustworthy.

He continues to bring blessings and benefits into our lives.

” Do not be misled, my beloved brothers and sisters. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]. 18 It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].

19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; ” James 1:16-19 AMP

He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and He does not change. We need to listen more and murmur less. This will definitely bring us closer to thankful hearts.

Maybe you are a bit apprehensive about the Thanksgiving gathering. Different people with different opinions. Different customs, different football teams (that’s a big one for some).

Invite the One who never changes, there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes], Let Him lead the conversation. Seek those who are hurting – listen instead of speaking. Be a quick listener and a slow speaker.

Listen to the elderly and listen to the littles. Their world is so different from the one we were raised in. They need our prayers and our words of wisdom. They need our unconditional love.

“We praise you, Lord God! You treat us with kindness day after day, and you rescue us. 20 You always protect us and save us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 CEV

One translation of this verse says ” Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

Daily, He loads us up with benefits…Selah (stop and think).

When I read this verse, I think of being in Montana where each morning I had my arms loaded up with firewood. Firewood is an essential in some parts of the world. Without fire there’s no cooking, heat, purifying of water and there is no fire without firewood. It’s lifesaving and although it may seem like drudgery, those who depend on the wood, carry it gladly.

In the verse above says that He daily loads us up with benefits. Never tire of holding out your arms to be loaded up with benefits that come from the Father.

Let God use you to bring life-warming benefits to others!

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Loving Care

Yesterday we were at the racetrack. These races are for the year’s championship title. It’s our time with our oldest daughter and son-in-law and it’s also a great time to people watch.

That’s what I found myself doing during last night’s Xfinity race.

We had a family directly in front of us. Down about 10 rows was another family group. Then right before the race started a family with a small boy came and sat directly behind us. All three families caught my eye.

One family had two children about 8 and 10, the small boy was about 3 or 4 and the other child was a baby about 6 to 9 months. All the kids had the right ear protection, were dressed warmly and were happy.

Happy because mom, dad and extended family members were giving them the attention and loving care they needed. Although the adults came to watch the race, be part of the action and cheer for their favorite driver, their kids took priority.

There were several trips to the concession stand for food and drinks, and more than one exit to the restrooms. Even the baby was cuddled and rocked safely in loving arms. Not once did I hear a cross word or see one of the children being scolded.

No.

There were smiles exchanged between the adults as they would get up and leave the grandstands. Helping kids maneuver the grandstand seats, and not disrupting the other race fans, as much as possible, was their general concern.

Yes. They missed parts of the race, and maybe they missed seeing their favorite driver make an exciting move, but their attention was on the child who was dependent upon them.

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us.” Romans 8:31 ERV

I couldn’t help but think of the lyrics from an old song, “My heavenly Father watches over me”.

“Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7 ERV

Our heavenly Father rules the universe, but we have His attention. He knows what we need, and He provides.

“The Father has loved us so much! This shows how much he loved us: We are called children of God. And we really are his children. But the people in the world don’t understand that we are God’s children, because they have not known him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God…”I John 3:1-2 ERV

My prayer is that you will know and trust God’s love just like those little children at the race track last night.

I am so thankful for our Father’s loving care!

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Face the Future with Hope

You know that I start each day with prayer. This morning is no different. Praying for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren is a large part of my morning prayer time.

I had a praying grandmother. She and my grandfather would spend hours in prayer. It was such an encouragement to know she was praying, daily and sometimes hourly, for me. When I had children of my own, that comforted me in a greater way.

Now I am the matriarch of our family, and I take my responsibility of prayer very serious. Life has changed tremendously over the last 70 plus years. Things my grandmother could never imagine have come into being and I wonder what the future will be like for my grands.

It doesn’t cause me to fear but it does keep me in prayer.

“ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will let you find me.’ This message is from the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 ERV

Each generation has had their search for God. There are no spiritual grandchildren. Every person needs to have their own personal relationship with the Lord. The good news is that when we search for the Father, we find Him, and we find the hopeful future that He has planned for us.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. 4 Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be destroyed or lose their beauty.” I Peter 1:3-4 ERV

In Christ, we have a living hope. It’s a hope that grows, giving us strength for each day. Great Is Thy Faithfulness, the favorite old hymn, puts it this way.

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with 10,000 beside

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me”

The Apostle Paul and King David knew this hope long before these words were ever penned.

“ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

“It may seem that those who are poor and needy have been forgotten, but God will not forget them. He will not leave them without hope.” Psalm 9:18 ERV

“These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he says something, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. So these two things are a great help to us who have come to God for safety. They encourage us to hold on to the hope that is ours. 19 This hope is like an anchor for us. It is strong and sure and keeps us safe.” Hebrews 6:18-19 ERV

As I pray for my family, I also pray for you. I pray that God who gives hope will fill you with joy and peace as you face the future!

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Search & Rescue

It seems that we are going on a search and rescue mission today.

“Everyone who saw this started grumbling, ‘This man Zacchaeus is a sinner! And Jesus is going home to eat with him.’…9 Jesus said to Zacchaeus, ‘Today you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham. 10  The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.’” Luke 19:7-10 CEV

Jesus’ mission while on earth was one that the Father had designed in heaven. God’s heart has always been to provide and care for those who seek Him.

This morning my Bible reading overlapped. What I read in the Old Testament, was the same message Jesus was teaching on the mountain. Follow along with me.

“You are merciful, Lord! You are kind and patient and always loving. 9 You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation…Our Lord, you keep your word and do everything you say. 14 When someone stumbles or falls, you give a helping hand. 15 Everyone depends on you, and when the time is right, you provide them with food.
16 By your own hand you satisfy the desires of all who live.” Psalm 145:8-16 CEV

This is who God is. He doesn’t change and He doesn’t lie. What He says is what He will do. These verses would have been read in the synagogue. The people He was talking to on the mountain had probably heard them many times.

These words had probably lost their meaning to many that were listening to Jesus that day. Religious tradition and opinions, along with life’s disappointments, had stolen the strength of God’s promises. But Jesus was there to restore their hope and faith in the Father.

“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.

9 Would any of you give your hungry child a stone, if the child asked for some bread? 10 Would you give your child a snake if the child asked for a fish? 11 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.” Matthew 7:7-11 CEV

Ask, Search, Knock. This is our instruction. Bring everything, every need, every desire, every worry and fear to the Father. ” your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.” or as it says in the Psalm, “By your own hand you satisfy the desires of all who live.”

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He was the Father’s hand extended from heaven, reaching out to rescue us, to lift us up when we fall and then to keep us in a place of safety.

“ God is strong and can keep you from falling. He can bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and give you great joy. 25 He is the only God, the one who saves us. To him be glory, greatness, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord for all time past, now, and forever. Amen.” Jude 24 & 25 ERV

We’ve been rescued by our loving heavenly Father – we once were lost but now we’re found!

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Be – Attitudes

Did you ever notice that one of the biggest adversaries we face is our own attitude?

We start out planning to have a good day and then life happens. We spill coffee on our new blouse; the dog knocks over our favorite plant, we get stuck in traffic, and the news, oh the news.

Things can spiral out of control quickly and it’s all being ruled by our attitudes.

Shortly after Jesus met up with Peter, James, John and Andrew on the seashore and they left their nets, He began His life of ministry. People were touched and miracles happened.

“Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news about God’s kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and sickness... 24Some of them had a lot of demons in them, others were thought to be crazy, and still others could not walk. But Jesus healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed Jesus from Galilee and the region around the ten cities known as Decapolis…” Matthew 4:23-25 CEV

People came by droves to see the miracle worker.

“5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down. Jesus’ disciples gathered around him, 2 and he taught them:

3 God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven!
4 God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!
5 God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them!
6 God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want!
7 God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!
8 God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him!
9 God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children!
10 God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven.

11  God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12  Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.” Matthew 5:1-11 CEV

This is the beginning of a message that continues for three chapters.

Jesus takes the time to meet people where they live. And the first thing He dealt with was the attitude of the heart. People in the crowd came because they were seeking answers to life’s problems; they were grieving, insulted, mistreated, dependent, hungry for a change, looking for peace.

His message to us is the same. There is not one thing that happens in our lives that He doesn’t see or know about.

“Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:32-33 CEV

This is all part of the message that Jesus delivered that day.

Don’t worry – God knows our needs. He wants to provide for us; He wants our attitude, our heart’s focus, to be one of trust in Him and His love. Then everything else will fall in line.

Be conscious of God’s mercy, peace, provision, loving care and then our be-attitudes will be right.

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In the Shadow

Do you ever have things come to mind that you just have to mull over for a while? Things you need to think on, to ponder. The Bible calls that meditating – that’s what I have been doing with the beginning verses in Psalm 91.

“Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful. 2 Then you will say to the Lord, ‘You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.’

3 The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. 4 He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall.5 You won’t need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day. 6 And you won’t fear diseases that strike in the dark or sudden disaster at noon…14 The Lord says, ‘If you love me and truly know who I am, I will rescue you and keep you safe. 15 When you are in trouble, call out to me. I will answer and be there to protect and honor you. 16 You will live a long life and see my saving power.” Psalm 91 CEV

Stay in the shadow – living in the desert, shadows are a good thing. It means that something is providing shade for our protection.

It became clear that God is asking us to stay under His shadow, in the shade of His protection. Look at all that happens when we stay in that place where we are close to God.

a. live under protection

b. be in a place of safety

c. kept secure night and day

d. no fear of disaster or disease

e. truly know God and His love for us

When we are in His shadow, we are under His protection. Even when there is a “shadow of death”, we can be free from fear. God is with us, and He casts a bigger shadow than death.

“Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me.” Psalm 23:4 NLV

When we stay close to the Father, we are always in the protection of His shadow.

“Your love is faithful, Lord, and even the clouds in the sky can depend on you. 6 Your decisions are always fair. They are firm like mountains, deep like the sea, and all people and animals are under your care. 7 Your love is a treasure, and everyone finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm36-5-7 CEV

What fears are holding you captive? The known and the unknown are no match for the protection of the Father. When fear comes and it will, put yourself under the shadow of the Almighty God and rest.

His protection casts a big shadow!

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Organized & Peaceful

I woke up very early this morning; my mind was hurriedly making lists. For the next few weeks things are going to be quite busy for me and I want to make sure that I don’t forget anything. That’s why I have lists.

I got up, fully intending to come out to the living room and write a few things down, but instead, I picked up my Bible first and went to a few of my favorite passages on organization and peace.

There are some lessons the Lord teaches us and it’s to our benefit to revisit them often.

“ My son, don’t forget my teaching. Remember what I tell you to do. 2 What I teach will give you a good, long life, and all will go well for you. 3 Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart. 4 Then God will be pleased and think well of you and so will everyone else.

5 Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. 7 Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the Lord and stay away from evil. 8 If you do this, it will be like a refreshing drink and medicine for your body.” Proverbs 3:1-8 ERV

Solomon’s words for a long and healthy life are simple. Trust the Lord and not yourself, walk a road of love and loyalty, it will keep you on the right path all the days of your life.

Further along in this book is a verse that the Lord used in my life many, many years ago and has repeated it to me hundreds of times throughout my life.

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 AMPC

This verse serves as my stress meter. Am I anxious? Am I frustrated? Am I stressing out over the details? If I answer yes, then I know that I have not rolled my works on the Lord and that I am trying to do them in my own effort and wisdom.

This morning, I wrote in my journal “Father, thank you for a peaceful heart and an organized mind”.

Did you know that Moses wrote one of the Psalms? This is his prayer for us.

“Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” Psalm 90:12 CEV

Moses seems to be saying the same thing here that Solomon said. Trust the Lord and not our own wisdom.

I have one more verse to share with you.

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

You may have a long list of things to accomplish; there are unknowns and there is the temptation to worry and fret. I’d like to give you some Biblical advice, roll it all over on the Lord and let Him direct your path.

His way will give you a peaceful heart and an organized mind.

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Consequences

How many of you have heard these words?

“No temptation has taken you that is not common to man and the Lord will give you the ability to escape it” I Corinthians 10:13

That verse comes from I Corinthians chapter 10. Paul was giving instruction to the Christians about the example they had received from their forefathers who had murmured and complained in the wilderness.

They had seen all of God’s power when He delivered them from Egypt; crossing the Red Sea; living under the pillar of cloud by day; eating manna from heaven; drinking water from a rock and still they complained and rebelled.

So now Paul is giving strong admonition to them. Don’t let the temptation to complain and murmur about your circumstances cause you to stray from the Lord.

God is faithful and He will provide a way of escape. Don’t be confident in your own abilities because when you are, you will fall but be confident in Christ and what He has done for you.

“So anyone who thinks they are standing strong should be careful that they don’t fall. 13 The only temptations that you have are the same temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it.” I Corinthians 10:12-13 ERV

Good word for today. How many times a day do we find ourselves complaining about something? How many times are we trusting in our own strength and not His?

Over the last week we have talked about planting seed. The seed, Jesus said, is God’s word. That’s good seed. Our words are also seed; when we murmur and complain it is far from good and we need to pull it up before it takes root and produces a crop. Some of us should pray for crop failure.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing. 15  Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world” Philippians 2:14-15 CEV

Paul was instructing the Christians in Corinth and in Philippi on godly living. It’s good instruction for us as well. He wanted them to see that words have consequences. Words of praise and words of complaint both produce a crop.

“You can trust this: Every word that God speaks is true. God is a safe place for those who go to him.” Proverbs 30:5 ERV

Let’s remind ourselves of how the Lord has been faithful in the past and it will keep us from complaining about the present or worrying over the future. It will bring about a consequence of peace.

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Be Brave

Yesterday we saw how we can pray confidently when we are praying God’s word, relying completely on His promises.

That’s where bravery comes from. It’s a confidence in God’s word and His presence. Bravery isn’t the lack of fear. No, not at all. Bravery is trusting God in every situation. It’s what the Apostle Paul taught the Christians in Rome.

“ What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? 33 If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them?” Romans 8:31-33 CEV

Many of our fears come from the “what if’s” in life. What if I’m not strong enough, not articulate enough, not accepted by the right people, not wise enough. When we trust in God and His love for us, knowing that He is on our side we can and will dispel each and every fear.

“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 CEV

What do you face that is unnerving causing you to be anxious and even fearful? Take these Scriptures to heart. The Bible is a powerful weapon against fear.

“God’s word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.” Hebrews 4:12 CEV

The Book of Joshua is a lesson in bravery. In fact, I have a book in my library, “Victorious Christian Living” written by Alan Redpath in 1955 that is such an amazing study in courage and trust.

Joshua was tasked with leading the Israelites, all million plus of them, into the Promised Land. They had physical armies to defeat, hostile land to work and weariness of mind to conquer. This is God’s command to Joshua.

“Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 ERV

The key to bravery and overcoming fear is remembering God’s promises, (He cannot lie), and trusting Him in every situation.

“The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 CEV

Peter and John were ordinary men, just like you and I, not well educated but they were brave when they faced the ruling officials, arrested and commanded not to speak the name of Jesus. Their faith was in God; faith grew and fear was abolished.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

We are living in a time where bravery and courage are needed. As we trust the Lord we will be strong, brave and very courageous!

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